|
The General Assembly, because I have
not otherwise spelled it out, would have
the right to prescribe the form of the peti-
tion, period of time for its circulation
among ,the voters, and all other specifics
with relation thereto.
I should also state that I feel it should
be placed on the ballot at least sixty days
after the petition is filed with the office of
the governor, although I have not specifi-
cally stated that and it can be left to the
General Assembly.
For the many reasons stated by Delegate
Winslow and others who spoke in support
of the initiative procedure with regard to
constitutional amendments and for com-
pelling reasons, I think, the calling of a
constitutional convention should be subject
to popular initiative.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are there any others?
Delegate Boyer.
DELEGATE BOYER: Mr. Chairman, I
hate to keep being a dirty bird and oppose
my good friends, but again I seriously
suggest that the Committee of the Whole
reject this amendment. First I am ex-
tremely confused. If you follow the amend-
ment on page 1 in line 9 after the period,
and add this new sentence, what is it the
intention to do with the rest of the Rec-
ommendation GP-8? Would all that be
scratched or would this be an addition or
supplementation or substitution or what?
That is one reason I would suggest reject-
ing this amendment.
Secondly, as Delegate Needle has very
properly stated, this is the initiative amend-
ment, exactly the same thing we previously
rejected on the amendment section. If any-
thing, I would have much preferred to have
initiative on amendment to the constitu-
tion rather than calling the convention
itself. A special interest group, with a
well-heeled financial campaign, could do
great chaos to the Free State of Maryland.
I believe for consistency's sake and many
other reasons, I would suggest rejection of
this Amendment D.
THE CHAIRMAN: Is there any other
discussion? Delegate Needle.
DELEGATE NEEDLE: Simply for the
purpose of clarification, I did not delete
any other portion of the committee recom-
mendation. This is simply a sentence to be
added. I do not think it is inconsistent with
any other portions of the committee rec-
ommendation.
|
THE CHAIRMAN: Is there any other
discussion?
Delegate Grumbacher.
DELEGATE GRUMBACHER: Mr.
Chairman, members of the Committee, I
have been against initiative in every form
up until this particular point. The initiative
in all other cases is on a specific and single
issue which can in times of trouble cause
us grave difficulties.
Since in this particular case the initia-
tive would put on the ballot the calling of
a convention and through the filter of that
convention would pass the problems of the
State, I think we would be perfectly safe
to have the initiative.
A major reason for having the initiative
in here is to avoid the kind of thing we
went through for the past hundred years
and particularly, I believe, the past fifty,
where we have been blocked and blocked
very much from having a constitutional
convention because of gross malapportion-
ment. We think we may have cured that
problem in our present constitution but
some things do not stay cured the way you
want them to. I think we must have a dif-
ferent form in addition to the way laid out
in GP-8, a different way for us to call a
convention.
This, I believe, is the soundest. I did not
like having the governor call it. I do like
very much seeing the initiative being used.
This initiative is under tight control of
ten percent of the voters, only one-quarter
from any one county. It only puts it on the
ballot and the ballot then only calls the
convention. The convention then acts and
it goes back to the people for ratification.
I am heartily in favor of this amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN: Is there any further
discussion?
Delegate Wheatley.
DELEGATE WHEATLEY: Mr. Chair-
man, I have a question for the sponsor of
the amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN : Delegate Needle, will
you take the floor to yield to questions?
DELEGATE NEEDLE: Surely.
THE CHAIRMAN : Delegate Wheatley.
DELEGATE WHEATLEY: In requir-
ing 10 percent of the total number of votes
cast for governor, what time limitation
would there be on this?
|
