2620                                          Reports

of such former members which they are now receiving or to which they
may become entitled under the statutory pension plan now in effect.

II.    INTRODUCTION

The past few years have marked a significant period for improvement
and modernization of the General Assembly of Maryland, beginning in
1965 with the historic reapportionment of the Senate and House of Dele-
gates. It was in that same year that the Constitutional Convention Com-
mission began its work on a new draft Constitution for the State, including
a revised Legislative Article which vested greater responsibilty in the
General Assembly for self-governance and improved organization.

In addition to the State government's own efforts in behalf of legisla-
tive reform through reapportionment and constitutional revision, citizen
interest and study of the problem began in 1966. That concern culminated
in January, 1967, with a report by the Citizens Commission on the General
Assembly, which recommended constitutional, administrative and proce-
dural changes for the Legislature. Concurrently, the General Assembly
itself commissioned a study to develop in-depth analysis of its then-
existing practices and procedures, with recommendations for improvement.
At the end of 1967, and after searching examination of the problem, the
Eagleton Institute of Rutgers University submitted a report which in many
respects paralleled the proposals by the earlier citizens' study.

For two years, 1968 and 1969, the General Assembly, through its
Legislative Council, conducted a comprehensive review of the two studies.
Recommendations on Senate and House organization, committee reorgani-
zation, budget and finance, staffing and facilities, and conflicts-of-interest
were studied by the Council. And many of these recommendations have
been adopted—some as proposed and others with revisions.

Major changes in the Maryland Legislative Article, as part of a pro-
posed new Constitution, were adopted by the 1967-68 Constitutional Con-
vention. That Constitution was defeated at the polls on May 14, 1968.
Although the defeat of a proposed Constitution has delayed certain consti-
tutional revisions, the citizens of Maryland have basically provided a for-
ward thrust to modernization of the Legislative Branch through 1970
amendments to the Constitution that (1) have lengthened the annual
session from 70 to 90 days and (2) have created a compensation commission
to study improvement of members' salaries. Improvement of the General
Assembly has incorporated efforts to upgrade the salary scale of its mem-
bers and to identify increased compensation as total compensation. These
efforts have been seen by many, including this General Assembly Compen-
sation Commission, as a means of attracting dedicated, competent citizens
to public service and of increasing public confidence in our State's legisla-
tive process. It is in that spirit that we, the members of the Commission,
forward our Resolution and Report to the General Assembly.

III.  HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE COMPENSATION IN MARYLAND

Each member of the General Assembly receives (1) by constitutional
provision, an annual salary of $2,400 while the two presiding officers each
receive per annum $250 in addition to that amount; (2) by budget item and
desk order entered in the journal of each House at the beginning of each
session, $25 per diem expense reimbursement for each day the Legislature
is in session; (3) by budget and statute, $35 per diem compensation for
attendance at each meeting of the Legislative Council or committees thereof