1804                                      VETOES

Finally, as the amended Bill would probably be construed, the
penalty for possession for purposes of self-administration is being
lessened. Under the present law, any unauthorized possession, in-
cluding possession for purposes of self-administration, subject to a
maximum penalty of a $500 fine or one year imprisonment or both.
Under the amended Bill, possession for purposes of self-administra-
tion appears to be subject to the same penalty as violations of sub-
section (e), which is a maximum fine of $100.

Because House Bill 820 is unclear and because it apparently
lowers the penalty for the offense of possessing LSD, I have decided
to veto it.

Sincerely,
/s/ Marvin Mandel,

Governor,

House Bill No. 908—Cecil County Severance Tax

AN ACT to add new Section 119A to the Code of Public Local
Laws of Cecil County (1961 Edition, being Article 8 of the Code of
Public Local Laws of Maryland), title "Cecil County," subtitle
"County Commissioners," to follow immediately after Section 119
thereof, to provide for the levy and collection of a severance tax on
sand, gravel or stone of any kind excavated, removed or quarried in
Cecil County, to require periodic reports of such material excavated,
removed or quarried, and the keeping of records of such excavation,
removal or quarrying, and to provide powers of enforcement of this
Act.

May 28, 1969.

Honorable Thomas Hunter Lowe
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17, of the Maryland Con-
stitution, I have today vetoed House Bill 908 and am returning it to
you.

This Bill purports to impose, "for the privilege of deleting the
natural resources" of Cecil County, a "severance tax" on excavators
or other persons regularly engaged in excavating, removing or quarry-
ing sand, gravel or stone in Cecil County. The County Commissioners
are authorized to set the tax rate at not less than one cent nor more
than five cents per ton of sand, gravel or stone. The Bill further pro-
vides that excavators and others engaged in removing sand, gravel,
or stone shall file monthly reports with the County Commissioners
informing them of the amount of excavated sand, gravel or stone
"which has been sold during the preceding month" and that such
persons shall "pay the tax due thereon."

After giving this Bill a great deal of study and consideration,
I have reached the conclusion that it must be vetoed for several
reasons.