DRAFT CONSTITUTION'S PROVISIONS 461

I am confident that the people will want a fresh and vital constitu-
tion, that they are wise enough to appreciate reform and accept in-
novation. I have faith that neither you nor they will be misled; that
if you create an honest and vibrant document, the people will support
and ratify it.

REVIEW OF DRAFT CONSTITUTION'S PROVISIONS

IN ARTICLE IV

(Prepared in Conjunction with Testimony before
the Committee on the Executive Branch)

October 10, 1967

This review is intentionally limited to the parts of the Draft Con-
stitution I enthusiastically endorse or seriously question. Even here,
however, I feel that there is room for further discussion and continued
call for compromise based upon responsible differences and practical
considerations.

Section 4.02 Duties of Lieutenant Governor

I fully support the creation of the office of Lieutenant Governor.
The present demands on the time and energies of the Governor of
Maryland virtually dictate the development of a supportive post if
the executive office is to fulfill all its functions, duties, and obligations
to the public.

By deliberately not assigning specific duties to the Lieutenant Gov-
ernor and delegating this responsibility to the Governor and General
Assembly, this provision assures essential flexibility for the future. It
enables the newly created office to be developed freely and effectively
in response to immediate and practical needs.

Section 4.03 Governor

The eligibility requirements establish reasonable and pragmatic
safeguards. The requirement that the Governor shall have been a
qualified voter in the State for at least two years immediately preced-
ing his election assures interest in and familiarity with the State, yet
does not overemphasize residency at the expense of capability, which
is the primary requisite. Further, it may logically be assumed that
political realities would mitigate the probability of a newcomer's
winning his Party's nomination for Governor, since it takes time to
develop the identity and political support necessary to win the guber-
natorial nomination.