Sen. Joan Carter Conway didn't like the bill to change how school board members in Baltimore County are selected and she made no bones about it.

And when the bill came up for a final vote in the Senate Thursday she refused to cast a vote on it at all.

"I'm not going vote on this bill," said Conway. "I abstained on the bill. I actually disagree with the bill."

"It's not about local courtesy sometimes. It's more substantive than that," said the Baltimore City Democrat who chairs the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee.

The Senate ultimately passed the bill 34-9 with Conway not casting a vote.

Conway's explanation highlighted the fact that she didn't vote at all—a technical violation of Senate rules which require each member to cast a vote on every matter on the floor unless they are excused from voting.

Conway held up the bill in her committee until last week over concerns that reducing the number of appointed members would reduce minority representation on the county board of education.

She referred to those concerns again during her brief explanation Thursday morning, referring to the demographics of Baltimore County.

"This is not a local courtesy issue," said Conway. "This is more than local courtesy."