|
of the Committee of the Whole in first
reading has been completely lost. As I said
to members of the Style and Drafting
Committee, unfortunately I think they have
been lobbied by special interests.
I urge you to keep in mind that the
Local Government Committee as a whole
has studied this issue and I hope that you
will follow the recommendation of the
Committee as a whole. Granted the Chair-
man is a very influential person, and I
would ordinarily suggest that you follow
the lead of the Chair, but I think in this
instance the majority of the Committee has
decided and will stand behind this par-
ticular provision.
THE PRESIDENT: Delegate Pullen.
DELEGATE PULLEN: Mr. President,
I think it is essential that this provision
stay in to preserve the very purpose of the
statewide system of education. If you re-
move this provision, then any county in
the State can begin to legislate in respect
to its school boards, its budgets, or any-
thing else.
The General Assembly of Maryland for
100 years has interfered but little and
has practically no laws affecting any one
county. It has, however, given the choice
of the means by which a county can select
a school board. It is entirely different. I
think it is necessary for the statewide sys-
tem that we oppose this amendment.
THE PRESIDENT: Does any other
delegate desire to speak in favor of the
amendment?
Does any delegate desire to speak in
opposition?
Delegate Wheatley, do you desire to
speak for or against?
DELEGATE WHEATLEY: In opposi-
tion.
THE PRESIDENT: The Chair recog-
nizes Delegate Lord.
DELEGATE LORD: I also want to op-
pose the amendment.
THE PRESIDENT: The Chair recog-
nized you because you were on the floor
earlier.
DELEGATE LORD: Mr. President and
fellow delegates, what is being raised here
today is the specter of eroding the concept
of general laws and it has been main-
tained that unless this amendment is
adopted that we will be right back where
we started with a lot of local legislation
|
coming from the State House in Annapo!:,':.
In the field of education the facts just rlo
not bear this out. The General Asserdily
has had the power to legislate locally icr
100 years in this area. There are exactly
108 pieces of legislation which relate t;
education. That is in an article that is C .C
sections long. This is a very careful -...-••?
of this power. I have reason to believe that
the power will continue to be used very
sparingly by the General Assembly but it
is a power that must be retained by tin;
General Assembly.
If you look at the rather rare exception:;
and local law exceptions, you will find that
they are very beneficial to a statewide sy.s-
tem. As Delegate Moser and Delegate
Maurer indicated a number of them deal
with the way boards are to be composed.
If there is to be any state perspective, this
has to be retained. Some deal with pensions
and retirement systems in counties which
cannot do it by themselves. This is bene-
ficial. This should not only be left to en-
abling legislation requiring further action
in the county. This is one point on which
the General Provisions Committee is vir-
tually unanimous, and the Local Govern-
ment Committee is in the main opposed to
this amendment.
I urge that this amendment be defeated
and I rest my remarks with those of Dele-
gate Moser and Delegate Maurer.
THE PRESIDENT: Does any delegate
wish to speak in favor?
Delegate Key.
DELEGATE KEY: I have an inquiry.
THE PRESIDENT: Parliamentary in-
quiry?
DELEGATE KEY: It is to straiphi.cn
out a question in my mind.
THE PRESIDENT: State the question.
DELEGATE KEY: If this section is
taken out —
THE PRESIDENT: You mean the
clause rather than section.
DELEGATE KEY: Yes, this clause C:,n
the General Assembly make a public rreii-
eral law that reads as section 5 of GP-6
which would enable the school boards :r do
as this amendment would?
THE PRESIDENT: I am not sure I un-
derstand your question. Do you mean if
this clause is omitted would the General
Assembly by general law be able to pass a
statute similar to section 5 or do you mean
|
