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marked 21-A. Please change the A to B.
The amendment has been offered by Dele-
gate Needle. Any delegates who do not
have the amendment, please indicate to the
page. Amendment No. 21-B is offered by
Delegate Needle. Is there a second?
(The motion was duly seconded.)
The amendment having been seconded,
the Chair recognizes Delegate Needle to
speak to the amendment. Just a second,
Delegate Needle. The Clerk will read the
amendment.
READING CLERK: Amendment No. 21-B
to Amendment No. 21 to Committee Rec-
ommendation S&E-2 by Delegate Needle:
On page 2 of the amendment in lines 10
through 14 inclusive, strike out the sentence
beginning with "Unless otherwise'' in line
10 down to and including "State officials."
in line 14, an dinsert in lieu thereof the
following sentence:
"Elections of all county officials shall be
held on the same day in the same year as
provided by public general law."
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Needle.
DELEGATE NEEDLE: Mr. Chairman, I
must apologize for the delay in the delibera-
tions of this body which was occasioned by
preparation of this amendment. I am sorry
if this body has gotten sidetracked. I think,
however, that this amendment will bring
us back on the right track.
Unfortunately, I think there is much con-
cern about the meaning of the sentence
which my amendment deletes from Amend-
ment No. 21. I hesitate to see this body
adopt the wording in that sentence which
is subject to doubt.
The most desirable thing in my amend-
ment and the thrust of it is to provide
uniformity among all the counties in their
elections. That is what Delegate Byrnes
spoke to so eloquently, and Delegate Schloe-
der, Delegate Chabot and a number of other
delegates here who gave me the strength
to offer this amendment.
I think it is essential when taking into
consideration the action of this Convention
with regard to the local government article
that we make the counties as visible as we
are going to make them viable. It is essen-
tial that all of the counties in my opinion
hold their elections on the same day in the
same year. That, however, can be provided
by the General Assembly. I do not think it
proper that it be provided in this constitu-
tion. I think this amendment provides for
the uniformity with which both the majority
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recommendation and the minority report of
S&E-2 desire, as Delegate Byrnes in his
presentation of the minority report also
indicated.
However, it leaves the final determination
to the General Assembly. It will not permit
the local subdivisions or the General As-
sembly to provide different election dates
for each county which would result in a
hodge-podg-e of county elections throughout
the State. Some may have their elections
in the same year as presidential elections,
some when there are state elections, some
in the third year, some in the fourth year,
some at any other date during any of those
years if Amendment No. 21 is adopted.
I think that Amendment No. 21-B to
Amendment No. 21 clearly would focus
attention and awareness on county elections,
county candidates and county issues which
is so vital when taken into consideration
with this Convention's action on LG-1, I
urge you to support 21-B to amendment 21.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Schloeder,
do you desire to comment?
DELEGATE SCHLOEDER: No, sir, I am
busy back here trying to get my forces to-
gether for a reconsideration. I think that
certainly the Needle amendment adds and
helps clarify the Hanson amendment and I
think it does help. I do not think, however,
and I am sure Delegate Needle would
agree, that it is as good as the original
committee position, which by this time, I
think, many people might at least like to
have a vote on. That is, if the Baltimore
City delegation would not again abstain.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Hanson.
DELEGATE HANSON: Mr. Chairman, as
much as I appreciate Delegate Needle's at-
tempt to help, I think the practical effect
of the Needle amendment is one of two un-
desirable alternatives for this Convention.
Alternative one is that the election date for
Baltimore City would have to be changed
to coincide with the state elections because
all of the other counties have their elections
at that time and all the other counties have
more votes in the General Assembly than
Baltimore City and it would be easier for
them to do it that way than to take account
of Baltimore City.
The other alternative is that Baltimore
City would be sufficiently able to prevail
upon the sympathies of their colleagues in
the General Assembly so that all elections
would be held on the same date as those in
Baltimore City. These, it seems to me, are
the two possible and the only two possible
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