opinion that the electorate of a district
should not be precluded from choosing any
qualified Marylander whom the electorate
believes can best represent them.
Some members of the Commission, how-
ever, feel very strongly that only a resi-
dent of the district should be eligible to
represent the district in the General As-
sembly, but by a vote of 13 to 7 the Com-
mission rejected the requirement.
The difficulty in residence requirements
is that it causes gerrymandering. We had
classic examples of it last year in Baltimore
County. I am sure the other large counties
that were districted for the first time ex-
perienced the same thing.
Political people, to preserve their politi-
cal bases, insisted on drawing the lines in
a certain manner so that they could run in
certain districts. This is the thing that is
wrong with residence requirements.
I have great confidence in the voters to
make the choice. I doubt that the voters of
a district in Baltimore County are going to
vote for someone from Carroll County or
Montgomery County or Baltimore City; but
if they do, I think if that is their choice,
they should have the right to make the
choice if they feel this man can most ably
represent them.
I point out that as Mrs. Hopkins said,
at the Congressional level there are no dis-
trict requirements. I think this is an ex-
ample of what we see in Maryland, it has
not posed any undue burden or caused any
carpetbagging. I urge support of Amend-
ment No. 15.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gallagher?
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: Mr. Chair-
man, I think that the issue is fairly well-
drawn and I do not intend to yield any
time unless there are any members of the
Committee who desire to speak against the
amendment.
I have not had an indication that this is
the case.
THE CHAIRMAN: For what purpose
does Delegate Gilchrist rise?
DELEGATE GILCHRIST: For the pur-
pose of an inquiry, Mr. Chairman.
THE CHAIRMAN: Parliamentary in-
quiry?
DELEGATE GILCHRIST: Of the pro-
ponents of the amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Hopkins,
will you yield for a question? |
DELEGATE HOPKINS: Yes.
DELEGATE GILCHRIST: Delegate
Hopkins, yesterday, in the course of the
argument concerning single-member house
districts, a very great point was made con-
cerning the representation of particular
small areas all over the state, the point
being that single-member districts tended
to greatly broaden the representation in
the legislature. I am wondering how con-
sistent this amendment is with the position
of yesterday in view of the fact that this
would enable the same kind of situation to
prevail throughout a senatorial district
where there will be a number of persons
within the district. In other words, you
could have the same sort of situation which
occurred with respect to this Convention
where, for example, I believe/in one dis-
trict in Baltimore all of the members re-
sided within a mile of each other.
Would this not be possible under this
amendment?
DELEGATE HOPKINS: Mr. Gilchrist,
of course this would be possible, but I think
highly unlikely. I think we are getting back
again to the arguments for and against
single-member districts, and I do not think
this has a great deal to do with what we
are proposing, as far as doing away with
an unfairness that might result.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chair recog-
nizes Delegate Hopkins for the purpose of
yielding time.
DELEGATE HOPKINS: Mr. Chairman,
I would have to ask Delegate Hanson
whether he wishes to speak. We had
planned—may I yield three minutes to
Delegate Hanson?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Hanson.
DELEGATE HANSON: Mr. Chairman,
as a member of this minority, I think that
the report of the Committee is not unrea-
sonable in requiring residence in senatorial
districts but not in the house district.
On the other hand, we feel that it would
be preferable if there were no residence
requirement other than that of residence
in the State of Maryland.
As to the question of whether this defeats
the whole purpose of single-member dis-
tricts, we strongly argue it does not. The
country which essentially invented single-
member districts for representation, Eng-
land, has never required residence in the
parliamentary district for the purpose of
serving in the parliament of that country.
This is much the case in many countries. |
