sions and task forces at the discretion of the gov-
ernor.

General Assembly is the legal designation of the
Maryland legislature. The General Assembly is
sometimes referred to as the "popular" branch of
government, because its members are more direct-
ly representative of the electorate than are offi-
cials of either the executive or judiciary. Legisla-
tors are elected to both houses of the General
Assembly from districts redrawn every ten years
to ensure an equal representation based on the
concept of "one person one vote." The geographi-
cal size of the districts varies according to popu-
lation density, but in all cases are sufficiently
small so that the electorate can be certain that
their chosen representatives are familiar with the
concerns and priorities of their specific area.

Like all states but Nebraska, Maryland has a
bicameral legislature. The lower house is known
as the House of Delegates and the upper house as
the Senate. Representatives to both houses are
elected in each gubernatorial election year for
four-year terms. Candidates for the House of Del-
egates must be at least twenty-one years of age
and those for the Senate at least twenty-five. The
House of Delegates consists of 141 members,
while the Senate has 47 members. Both houses
convene annually on the second Wednesday in
January for a 90-day session. Sessions may be ex-
tended by resolution of both houses, and special
sessions may be called by the governor. The Gen-
eral Assembly is responsible for passing all laws
necessary for the welfare of the state's citizens,
for legislation dealing with the counties and spe-
cial taxing districts, for determining how state
funds are to be allocated, and for adopting
amendments to the state Constitution. Bills may
be introduced in either house, and when passed
by both houses and signed by the governor they
become law.

The General Assembly employs various com-
mittees—statutory, standing, and joint—to facil-
itate its work during and between sessions. The
legislative branch also encompasses several state
agencies. The State Department of Legislative
Reference assists in the preparation of legislation
and maintains a library of material essential for
legislators. The Commission to Revise the Anno-
tated Code is involved in a multi-year reorganiza-
tion and recodification of the laws of Maryland.
The Department of Fiscal Services prepares finan-
cial impact statements and provides fiscal moni-
toring functions for the General Assembly.

One of the single most important tasks of the
General Assembly, and one that requires close
coordination and consultation with the Executive

Maryland at a Glance/7

Department, is adoption of the annual state bud-
get. The Constitution specifies that it is the re-
sponsibility of the governor to present the annual
budget to the General Assembly within five days
of the beginning of each legislative session. Unlike
many other states, the budget of Maryland must
not exceed anticipated revenues, thus preventing
deficit spending and accounting in large part for
the excellent bond rating enjoyed by the state.
Reflecting the principle of separation of powers
within state government, the governor must in-
corporate into the budget unchanged requests
from the legislative and judicial departments, as
well as the estimated expenses required for oper-
ating the public schools. Beyond these items and
other obligations for certain state debts and the
salaries of officials specified in the Constitution,
the governor has considerable discretion in deter-
mining what programs and agencies to fund in
the budget. The budget process is thus a major
policy-shaping tool for the governor. Supplemen-
tal budgets may be submitted by the governor af-
ter adoption of the annual budget, but all re-
quests for such funds must be matched by
additional anticipated revenues. The importance
and complexity of the state budget is indicated by
the size of the annual request. In 1982 total bud-
geted expenditures amounted to $5,770,189,149,
or more than $1,368 for every man, woman, and
child resident in the state.

The Judiciary is responsible for the resolution
of all matters involving civil and criminal law in
the State of Maryland. Judges base their decisions
on statutory law, common law, or equity. As the
population of Maryland has grown and society
has become more complex, the judiciary has been
reshaped to more effectively and efficiently deal
with litigation and other matters requiring judi-
cial determination. What has evolved is a four-
tiered court system consisting of the District
Courts, Circuit Courts, the Court of Special Ap-
peals, and the Court of Appeals.

The District Court of Maryland, implemented
in 1971 on a statewide basis in every county in
the state and Baltimore City, is a court of limited
jurisdiction that replaced the earlier local justices
of the peace and county trial magistrates. The
District Courts have jurisdiction in minor civil
and criminal matters and in virtually all viola-
tions of the state Motor Vehicle Law. District
Court judges are appointed by the governor for
ten-year terms.

Appeals from decisions in the District Court,
as well as more serious criminal and civil cases,
are heard in the Circuit Courts. Circuit Court
judges are nominated by special judicial selection
commissions and appointed by the governor with