apparently, no other delegate desires to
speak.
Delegate Linton?
DELEGATE LINTON: Mr. Chairman,
members of the Committee of the Whole,
I was waiting for the orators to speak
on this subject and I would like to com-
ment briefly on the Committee Chairman's
phrase, the buck stops here. The number
must be set, even if it is a number from
the air.
Members of this Committee and this
Convention, the most important subject
that has come before us for a final vote
is the one that we are considering now. I
feel that more votes, for or against this
constitution, will hinge upon decisions we
make.
For years the problems of enforcement
have been studied by the legislature, and
a realistic figure has been set, which is
now 185.
The only thorough study, and even here
I cannot say that this is a thorough study,
has been proposed in the Gilchrist amend-
ment. It will be debated unless this par-
ticular motion is adopted.
Representation for the small counties
must be based on the Supreme Court's
basis of one-man, one-vote, but what does
representation mean to me?
Representation means that our roads
program is decided by the delegates and
senators that represent our county. Repre-
sentation means the bridges or promises
of bridges that seem to be present in the
legislature. Representation means tax-shar-
ing programs that are put into action in
this state.
Representation means whether or not the
capital improvement programs that we fi-
nance through our tax rate and state tax
rate every year on our tax bill, are located
within your part of the state, and I live in
a part of the state that does not have any
capital improvements, that has an oper-
ating budget, and that provides employ-
ment.
I live in a part of the state that does
not have a clover leaf or an overpass below
Upper Marlboro. And I blame this, and
the lack of roads—there is a death trap
on Route 5—on representation or lack of
representation.
I submit that the problem of apportion-
ment is not a function of this Convention.
It should be left to the legislature where |
the responsibility is clearly theirs, where
the time will be available, year after year.
It is a continuing problem. That is where
it belongs. I hope that this Convention will
adopt this amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does any delegate
desire to speak in opposition to the amend-
ment?
Delegate Needle?
DELEGATE NEEDLE: Mr. Chairman,
is it so essential that we try to provide
that each county has its own individual.
representative? I submit that it is not, al-
though it is regrettable that we cannot
reasonably do this today or in the future.
It will obviously become an even more
difficult problem in the future.
It is not essential that we so provide
today, because the historical basis for in-
dividual representation in the General As-
sembly will no longer exist in the future
if the recommendations of the Local Gov-
ernment Committee are accepted by this
Constitutional Convention.
Only four counties out of 23 today have
home rule government.
I hope, and I think it is one of the most
basic goals of this Constitutional Conven-
tion, that we mandate home rule for each
county so that each county can handle its
local matters on a local level. It will no
longer be necessary for the county delega-
tion in the General Assembly to be the
local legislature for that county.
Therefore, it is not essential, although
regrettable, that we cannot provide indi-
vidual representation in the General As-
sembly for each county.
I suggest that the compromise reached
by the Legislative Branch Committee is
the best before this body. I urge that you
support it.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does any other dele-
gate desire to speak in favor of the amend-
ment?
Delegate Vecera?
DELEGATE VECERA: Mr. Chairman,
I desire to speak in favor of the amend-
ment.
I urge the Committee of the Whole to
consider this very carefully in that it is
such a significant issue that I think the
Constitution may hinge on this one factor.
I urge the adoption of this in that we may
begin the long road toward ratification of |
