10,852

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With this in mind, considering the fact that three

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attempted congressional redistricting laws, 1961, '63, and

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'65, never saw the light of day, and that Maryland turned

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out to be one of the four states of the Union which had

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ultimately to resort to the courts in order to accomplish

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congressional redistricting, it was thought that we should

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attempt within the limits possible to set up some standards

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and procedure.

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At the outset, I should say that we recognize

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that Congress has the right at any time to pass laws

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pertaining to the same areas which the proposal you have

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before you refers to which, in effect, would preempt Maryland

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on any Constitutional or statutory provisions, so that

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we do, in suggesting to you the fact that there be

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congressional districting constitutional law in Maryland,

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we do run the risk of having the area preempted. However,

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that risk does not seem too great on the b.asis of what has

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occurred in recent times.

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The Federal Congress, since 1929, has really

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not had any standards of any genuine application with

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respect to congressional districts. Prior to that time,