This is what we are proposing, and we
would be quite willing to be clear about it.
We are trying to get rid of an evil. There
is a slight risk, but our case is that this
is not a great risk, because you know per-
fectly well the likelihood of one filing in
another area or likelihood of getting elected
is not great.
But you could go from Garrett County
to file in Worcester County.
DELEGATE CHILDS: That would ap-
ply also to a delegate?
DELEGATE HOPKINS: Yes, it would.
DELEGATE CHILDS: One more ques-
tion, please.
Is there anything to prevent a resident
of Garrett County under your provision
from filing for the senate in every sena-
torial district in the State at one time?
THE CHAIRMAN: Will Delegate Hop-
kins yield to Delegate Gallagher?
DELEGATE HOPKINS: Yes.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gallagher.
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: I have pre-
pared this morning, Mr. Chairman, and
plan to offer an amendment which would
specifically prohibit any person from seek-
ing more than one seat in the General As-
sembly at the same time, which I hope will
receive the approbation of this Committee
of the Whole.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate E. J.
Clarke.
DELEGATE E. CLARKE: Mr. Chair-
man, if it is in order, may I ask Delegate
Chabot to yield for a question?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate who?
DELEGATE E. CLARKE: Delegate
Chabot.
THE CHAIRMAN: I do not think this
is the time to ask questions of other dele-
gates. This is the period of clarification.
Delegate L. Taylor, do you have a ques-
tion to ask of the Minority Spokesman?
DELEGATE L. TAYLOR: Has this par-
ticular system been tried anywhere else?
DELEGATE HOPKINS: I stated in my
opening remarks that this would be, as far
as the state government is concerned, the
state legislature, a departure. It is used in
other countries and other levels of govern-
ment, but this would be the first time in
state government. However, we feel if |
Maryland does not do it, other states prob-
ably are going to come to this because of
the redistricting which we now live under
every five or ten years.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are there any
further questions of the Minority Spokes-
man? If not, the minority spokesman will
return to her seat and offer the amend-
ment.
Delegate Hopkins, do you offer the
amendment just sent to the desk?
DELEGATE HOPKINS.: Yes, Mr.
Chairman, I offer the amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Clerk will read
the amendment. Will you please number it
No 15. Amendment No. 15, strike out the
words "to amendment number," so that it
reads "Amendment 15 to Committee Rec-
ommendation LB-1."
READING CLERK: Amendment No. 15
to Committee Recommendation LB-I, by
Delegates Hopkins, Sollins, Hanson, and
dark: On page 2 of Committee Recom-
mendation No. LB-I strike all of Section
3.05 Qualifications of Legislators and in-
sert in lieu thereof the following section:
"Section 3.05. Qualifications of Legis-
lators
To be eligible as a senator or delegate,
a person shall be a qualified voter of the
State of Maryland at the time of his elec-
tion or appointment and shall have been a
resident of the State for at least two years
immediately preceding his election or ap-
pointment. To be eligible as a senator, a
person shall have attained the age of
twenty-five years, and to be eligible as a
delegate he shall have attained the age of
twenty-one years at the time of his election
or appointment."
THE CHAIRMAN: Is the amendment
seconded?
(Whereupon, the amendment was duly
seconded.)
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chair recog-
nizes Delegate Hopkins to speak to the
amendment.
DELEGATE HOPKINS: Mr. Chairman,
in an effort to leave no stone unturned in
encouraging qualified men and women to
file, I urge you not to leave a residence re-
quirement which might become a stumbling
block.
Finally, I should like to point out that as
we move to a smaller legislature which we |
