1969]                   OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES                       11

The title of this Bill provides "that when business premises become
untenantable because of riot or civil disorder, the tenant shall have an
option to terminate the tenancy and liability for rent shall cease upon
proportionate payment."

During the course of the passage of this measure in the General
Assembly, however, the reference to "business premises" in the body of
the Bill was deleted by amendment and the Bill, by its terms, now applies
not only to business premises, but to all premises rented for a term of not
more than seven years.

Although the Court of Appeals in recent years has exhibited great
reluctance to invalidate a bill because of a defective title, we do not see
how the Court could sustain the great discrepancy between the title to
this Bill and the actual provisions thereof.

We advise you, therefore, of our view that this Bill should not be
signed into law.

Sincerely,

/s/ Robert F. Sweeney,

Deputy Attorney General.

Vetoed by the Governor—May 28, 1969
House Bill No. 91—By Delegate Jacobson:

An Act to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 39K of
Article 53 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1968 Replacement Vol-
ume), title "Landlord and Tenant," subitle "Miscellaneous Provisions,"
providing WITH CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS that when business prem-
ises are rendered unsuitable for the purpose for which they were leased
BECOME UNTENANTABLE because of riot or civil disorder, the tenant
shall have an option to terminate the tenancy and liability for rent shall
cease upon proportionate payment.

The Speaker put the question: Shall the bill pass notwithstanding
the objections of the Executive?

Affirmative—None
Negative

Delegates—

Mr. Speaker, Briscoe, Fowler, Boyer, Athey, Thomason, Lipin, Burkhead, Connell,
Helms, Allen, Fornos, Anderson, Benner, Compton, Nimmerrichter, Arata, Coolahan,
Malone, Alpert, Jacobson, Rynd, Hopkins, Nice, Price, Hinkel, Hensen, Tyler, Hutchinson,
Jones, Kardash, Schirano, Einschutz, Evans, Rush, Arnick, D'Anna, Minnick, Dize, Mat-
thews, Burkheimer, Mackie, Dorman, Menes, Mothershead, Banning, Goodman, Hull,
King, Montfort, Santangelo, Weile, Aragona, Bagley, Donovan, Giordano, McDonough,
Rummage, Hickman, C. M., Hickman, R. O., Virts, Houck, Remsberg, Greer, Hess,
Osborne, Scarff, Hargreaves, Bonvegna, Bullock, Dypski, Krysiak, Silk, Walters,
Adams, Antonelli, Cassady, Chester, Orlinsky, Holub, Sarbanes, Burns, Curran, Hergen-
roeder, Kent, Kircher, McQuade, Mooney, O'Brien, Abramson, Brailey, Dixon, Douglass,
Epstein, Lee, Randolph, Abrams, Cardin, Friedman, Resnick, Sklar, Spector, Waxter,
Avara, Baumann, Weisengoff, Freeberger, Murphy, Rutkowski, Wyatt, Donaldson,
Grumbacher, Hoffman, Wright, Clarke, Cronin, Lady, McInerney, Scott, Whalen, Whit-
ney, Becker, Bell, Blondes, Cook, Docter, Maurer, Zander, Aitken, Wiser Evans, Reed,
Sloan, Williams, Matthews, Yingling, Burgess, Warfield, Laws, Long, Aiken. Total—142

The Speaker announced the veto was sustained.