672/Maryland Manual

SEC. l3.⁴⁷ (a) In case of death, disqualification, res-
ignation, refusal to act, expulsion, or removal from the
county or city for which he shall have been elected, of
any person who shall have been chosen as a Delegate or
Senator, or in case of a tie between two or more such
qualified persons, the Governor shall appoint a person
to fill such vacancy from a person whose name shall be
submitted to him in writing, within thirty days after the
occurrence of the vacancy, by the Central Committee of
the political party with which the Delegate or Senator,
so vacating, had been affiliated in the County or Dis-
trict from which he or she was elected, provided that
the appointee shall be of the same political party as the
person whose office is to be filled; and it shall be the
duty of the Governor to make said appointment within
fifteen days after the submission thereof to him. If a
name is not submitted by the Central Committee within
thirty days after the occurrence of the vacancy, the
Governor within another period of fifteen days shall ap-
point a person, who shall be of the same political party
as the person whose office is to be filled, and who is
otherwise properly qualified to hold the office of Dele-
gate or Senator in the District or County. In the event
there is no Central Committee in the County or District
from which said vacancy is to be filled, the Governor
shall within fifteen days after the occurrence of such va-
cancy appoint a person who is otherwise properly quali-
fied to hold the office of Delegate or Senator in such
District or County. In every case when any person is so
appointed by the Governor, his appointment shall be
deemed to be for the unexpired term of the person
whose office has become vacant.

(b) In addition, and in submitting a name to the
Governor to fill a vacancy in a legislative or delegate
district, as the case may be, in any of the twenty-three
counties of Maryland, the Central Committee or com-
mittees shall foilow these provisions:

(1) If the vacancy occurs in a district having the
same boundaries as a county, the Central Committee
of the county shall submit the name of a resident of
the district.
(2) If the vacancy occurs in a district which has
boundaries comprising a portion of one county, the
Central Committee of that county shall submit the
name oi a resident of the district.
(3) If the vacancy occurs in a district which has
boundaries comprising a portion or all of two or
more counties, the Central Committee of each county
involved shall have one vote for submitting the name
of a resident of the district; and if there is a tie vote
between or among the Central Committees, the list
of names there proposed shall be submitted to the
Governor, and he shall make the appointment from
the list.

SEC. 14.⁴⁸ The General Assembly shall meet on the
second Wednesday of January, nineteen hundred and
seventy-one, and on the same day in every year thereaf-
ter, and at no other time, unless convened by Proclama-

Article III

tion of the Governor. A Proclamation convening the
General Assembly in extraordinary session must be is-
sued by the Governor it a majority of the members
elected to the Senate and a majority of the members
elected to the House of Delegates join in a petition to
the Governor requesting that he convene the General
Assembly in extraordinary session, and the Governor
shall convene the General Assembly on the date speci-
fied in the petition. This section does not affect the
Governor's power to convene the General Assembly in
extraordinary session pursuant to Section 16 of Article
II of this Constitution.

SEC. 15.⁴'* (1) The General Assembly may continue
its session so long as in its judgment the public interest
may require, for a period not longer than ninety days in
each year. The ninety days shall be consecutive unless
otherwise provided by law. The General Assembly may
extend its session beyond ninety days, but not exceed-
ing an additional thirty days, by resolution concurred in
by a three-fifths vote of the membership in each House.
When the General Assembly is convened by Proclama-
tion of the Governor, the session shall not continue
longer than thirty days, but no additional compensation
other than mileage and other allowances provided by
law shall be paid members of the General Assembly for
special session.

(2) Any compensation and allowances paid to mem-
bers of the General Assembly shall be as established by
a commission known as the General Assembly Compen-
sation Commission. The Commission shall consist of
nine members, five of whom shall be appointed by the
Governor, two of whom shall be appointed by the Presi-
dent of the Senate, and two of whom shall be appointed
by the Speaker of the House of Delegates. Members of
the General Assembly and officers and employees of the
Government of the State of Maryland or of any county,
city, or other governmental unit of the State shall not be
eligible for appointment to the Commission. Members of
the Commission shall be appointed for terms of four
years commencing on June 1 of each gubernatorial elec-
tion year. Members of the Commission are eligible for
re-appointment. Any member of the Commission may
be removed by the Governor prior to the expiration of
his term for official misconduct, incompetence, or ne-
glect of duty. The members shall serve without compen-
sation but shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in
carrying out their responsibilities under this section. De-
cisions of the Commission must be concurred in by at
least five members.

(3)⁵⁰ Within 15 days after the beginning of the regu-
lar session of the General Assembly in 1974 and within
15 days after the beginning of the regular session in
each fourth year thereafter, the Commission by formal
resolution shall submit its determinations for compensa-
tion and allowances to the General Assembly. The Gen-
eral Assembly may reduce or reject, but shall not in-
crease any item in the resolution. The resolution, with
any reductions that shall have been concurred in by res-