30/Maryland Manual
No proposals made to amend the Constitution
of Maryland passed both houses of the General
Assembly of Maryland.
A HISTORY OF THE 1980 SESSION OF
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly met in regular session
on January 9, 1980, and adjourned on April 7,
1980.
A total of 3,139 bills was introduced, of which
1,085 were Senate bills and 2,054 were House
bills. Of the 1,085 Senate bills, 358 were passed
by both Houses, 312 were signed by the Gover-
nor, and 46 were vetoed. Of the 2,054 House bills
introduced, 615 were passed by both Houses, 567
were signed by the Governor, and 48 were
vetoed.
Joint Resolutions introduced totaled 195 with
66 in the Senate and 129 in the House. Of these,
15 Senate and 18 House Joint Resolutions were
passed by both Houses. All of these Joint Resolu-
tions were signed by the president of the Senate
and the speaker of the House of Delegates.
Seven bills vetoed by the Governor following
the 1979 Session were passed by both Houses
over his veto in this Session.
The budget bill enacted at this Session for fis-
cal year 1981 (ending June 30, 1981) amounted to
$5,269,066,089. The General Construction Loan
of 1980 was passed for a total of $85,515,000.
Among the more important measures were
those ratifying a proposed amendment to the U.S.
Constitution that would give the District of Co-
lumbia congressional representation, concerning
the Blue Laws in several counties, prohibiting
Sunday racing at licensed racetracks in certain
counties, providing free and reduced price break-
fasts to certain elementary schools, increasing the
amount of credit and balances on which 18 per-
cent interest can be assessed, providing the State
pay 100 percent of the cost of starting new adult
rehabilitation centers, removing prohibitions
against the use of games and contests by retail
and franchise merchants, requiring certain boards
to have consumer representatives, altering the
maximum permissible interest rates and finance
charges that may be charged by lenders, provid-
ing protection from domestic violence, concerning
the use, sale and possession of drug parapherna-
lia, providing that the law making consumer re-
cords confidential applies to transactions made by
an electronic terminal, including cards used with
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electronic fund transfer systems within the defini-
tion of credit cards for the purposes of certain
criminal offences, defining "continuing care" and
regulating the institutions that provide continuing
care, strengthening the Maryland Franchise
Laws, creating a Hazardous Waste Facility Siting
Board, establishing a model shelter home for
homeless women, excluding certain interest in-
come from State income tax, concerning pension
exclusion from State income tax, providing for
the renovation and improvement of Memorial
Stadium, providing additional State aid for police
protection, creating a new article entitled Pro-
curement, raising the interest rate paid tenants on
security deposits, updating the law governing sav-
ings and loan associations, providing for con-
struction and improvement of public school
buildings, correcting and clarifying certain sec-
tions of the Uniform Commercial Code, ex-
empting certain feminine hygiene products from
retail sales tax, raising the maximum gross weight
limit of certain vehicles, creating the Motion Pic-
ture and Television Development Office and
Council, increasing the claim period for redeem-
ing winning tickets in the State lottery, concern-
ing the adequacy of emergency response plans
when considering sites for nuclear power plants,
and creating by revision and reeodification a new
article on Financial Institutions.
Five proposals were made to amend the Con-
stitution of Maryland, entitled as follows: Anne
Arundel County—Election of County Council;
The Judiciary Department—Supreme Bench Con-
solidation; The Judiciary Department—Removal
of Causes; City of Baltimore—Residential Reha-
bilitation and Commercial Financing Loans; and
Wicomico County—Condemnation of Property.
These issues were referred to the voters at the
November election of 1980.
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT TO THE
PRESIDENT AND THE SPEAKER
Orin J. Durey, Assistant to the President and the
Speaker
Legislative Services Building
90 State Circle
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 841-3900
The Office of the Assistant to the President
and the Speaker was established in 1975 by joint
action of the President and Speaker as the admin-
istrative element of the Legislative Department.
He serves at their pleasure and may be removed
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