Article III

shall provide a level of funding not less than that pre-
scribed in the law. The estimates for the Legislative De-
partment, certified by the presiding officer of each
House, of the Judiciary, as provided by law, certified by
the Comptroller, and for the public schools, as provided
by law, shall be transmitted to the Governor, in such
form and at such times as he shall direct, and shall be
included in the Budget without revision.

(12)⁸⁵ The Governor may provide for public hearings
on all estimates and may require the attendance at such
hearings of representatives of all agencies, and for all in-
stitutions applying for State moneys. After such public
hearings he may, in his discretion, revise all estimates
except those for the legislative and judiciary depart-
ments, and for the public schools, as provided by law,
and except that he may not reduce an estimate for a
program below a level of funding prescribed by a law
which will be in effect during the fiscal year covered by
the Budget, and which was enacted before July 1 of the
fiscal year prior thereto.

(13) The General Assembly may, from time to time,
enact such laws not inconsistent with this section, as
may be necessary and proper to carry out its provisions.

(14) In the event of any inconsistency between any of
the provisions of this Section and any of the other pro-
visions of the Constitution, the provisions of this Sec-
tion shall prevail. But nothing herein shall in any man-
ner affect the provisions of Section 34 of Article 3 of
the Constitution or of any laws heretofore or hereafter
passed in pursuance thereof, or be construed as prevent-
ing the Governor from calling extraordinary sessions of
the Genera) Assembly, as provided by Section 16 of Ar-
ticle 2, or as preventing the General Assembly at such
extraordinary sessions from considering any emergency
appropriation or appropriations.

(15) If any item of any appropriation bill passed un-
der the provisions of this Section shall be held invalid
upon any ground, such invalidity shall not affect the le-
gality of the bill or of any other item of such bill or
bills.

SEC. S3.⁸⁶ Vacant.

SEC. 54.⁸⁷ No County of this State shall contract
any debt, or obligation, in the construction of any Rail-
road, Canal, or other Work of Internal Improvement,
nor give, or loan its credit to, or in aid of any associa-
tion, or corporation, unless authorized by an Act of the
General Assembly.

SEC. 55. The General Assembly shall pass no Law
suspending the privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

SEC. 56. The General Assembly shall have power to
pass all such Laws as may be necessary and proper for
carrying into execution the powers vested, by this Con-
stitution, in any Department, or office of the Govern-
ment, and the duties imposed upon them thereby.

SEC. 57. The Legal Rate of Interest shall be Six per
cent per annum, unless otherwise provided by the Gen-
eral Assembly.

Constitution of Maryland/809

SEC. 58.⁸⁸ The Legislature shall provide by Law for
State and municipal taxation upon the revenues accruing
from business done in the State by all foreign corpora-
tions.

SEC. 59.⁸⁹ The Legislature shall pass no law creating
the office of "State Pension Commissioner", or
establishing any general pension system within this
State.

SEC. 60.⁹⁰ The General Assembly of Maryland shall
have the power to provide by suitable general enact-
ment (a) for the suspension of sentence by the Court in
criminal cases; (b) for any form of the indeterminate
sentence in criminal cases, and (c) for the release upon
parole in whatever manner the General Assembly may
prescribe, of convicts imprisoned under sentence for
crimes.

SEC. 61.⁹¹ (a) The General Assembly may authorize
and empower any county or any municipal corporation,
by public local law:

(1) To carry out urban renewal projects which shall
be limited to slum clearance in slum or blighted areas
and redevelopment or the rehabilitation of slum or
blighted areas, and to include the acquisition, within the
boundary lines of such county or municipal corpora-
tion, of land and property of every kind and any right,
interest, franchise, easement or privilege therein, by pur-
chase, lease, gift, condemnation or any other legal
means. The term "slum area" shall mean any area where
dwellings predominate which, by reason of depreciation,
overcrowding, faulty arrangement or design, lack of
ventilation, light or sanitary facilities, or any combina-
tion of these factors, are detrimental to the public safe-
ty, health or morals. The term "blighted area" shall
mean an area in which a majority of buildings have de-
clined in productivity by reason of obsolescence, depre-
ciation or other causes to an extent they no longer justi-
fy fundamental repairs and adequate maintenance.

(2) To sell, lease, convey, transfer or otherwise
dispose of any of said land or property, regardless of
whether or not it has been developed, redeveloped, al-
tered or improved and irrespective of the manner or
means in or by which it may have been acquired, to any
private, public or quasi public corporation, partnership,
association, person or other legal entity.

No land or property taken by any county or any mu-
nicipal corporation for any of the aforementioned pur-
poses or in connection with the exercise of any of the
powers which may be granted to such county or munic-
ipal corporation pursuant to this section by exercising
the power of eminent domain shall be taken without
just compensation, as agreed upon between the parties,
or awarded by a jury, being first paid or tendered to
the party entitled to such compensation.

All land or property needed, or taken by the exercise
of the power of eminent domain, by any county or any
municipal corporation for any of the aforementioned

»⁸ Amended by Chapter 99, Acts of 1956, ratified Nov. 6, 1956.
"Amended by Chapter 681, Acts of 1977, ratified Nov. 7,
1978.
⁹⁰ Added by Chapter 453, Acts of 1914, ratified Nov. 2, 1915.
⁹' Added by Chapter 444, Acts of 1959, ratified Nov. 8, 1960.