The drafting of the Constitution
required thousands of hours of
research, study, and debate by 142
delegates and a highly competent
professional staff. The final prod-
uct that was approved by the
Convention on January 8, 1968,
and signed two days later reflects
this careful thought and delibera-
tion.

The Constitution has been
signed by 140 of the delegates. The
only delegates who have not yet
signed the Constitution are First
Vice President James Clark and
Edward T. Miller. Delegate Clark
was unable to sign because of a
broken hand and Delegate Miller
because he was seriously ill and
hospitalized. It is anticipated that
Delegate Clark will sign as soon as
he is physically able but Delegate
Miller died before he could sign.

The delegates to the Convention
do not believe that they drafted
an ideal or perfect document, for
that would have been an impossible
task. Rather, they sought the more
realistic goal of producing a sound
document which would be accept-
able to the great majority of Mary-
landers and which would offer an
improved framework of govern-
ment with flexibility for the future,
but with guarantees that the basic
rights of the people be protected.

The contents of the document
submitted here will not produce
sudden or radical changes in our
state government. Government in
Maryland will still be divided into

the executive, legislative and judi-
cial branches. The new draft ex-
pands rather than curtails the
rights of the citizens which are to
be protected from governmental
interference. Should further con-
stitutional alterations prove neces-
sary in the future, however, the
draft document provides for the
necessary means to make the
changes, just as does the present
Constitution.

The differences between the new
Constitution and the old are those
favored by the delegates in order
to make Maryland government
more responsible, more efficient
and more visible to the citizens it
serves. Each of the three branches
of the government is strengthened
so that together they will have the
power to solve modern-day prob-
lems without endangering the
liberties of the individual citizens
of the State. Among the changes
are:

The legislature is directed to
concentrate on statewide prob-
lems and is given the time in
which to consider these matters
properly.

The governor is given greater
control over the executive
branch to increase efficiency and
effectiveness of government.

The judicial system is changed
from a confused pattern of
courts with inconsistent powers
and duties to a statewide, unified
four-level system of courts