Marvin Mandel, Governor                       1235

1972, shall be submitted to the legal and qualified voters thereof for
their adoption or rejection in pursuance of directions contained in
Article 14 of the Constitution of this State; and at this general elec-
tion, the vote on this proposed amendment to the Constitution shall
be by ballot, and upon each ballot there shall be printed the words
"For the Constitutional Amendments" and "Against the Constitu-
tional Amendments" as now provided by law, and, immediately, after
the election, all returns shall be made to the Governor of the vote
for and against the proposed amendments, as directed by Article 14
of the Constitution, and further proceedings had in accordance with
Article 14.

Approved May 26, 1972.

CHAPTER 373
(Senate Bill 120)

AN ACT to propose an amendment to Section 52(6) of Article III
of the Constitution of Maryland, title "Legislative Department," to
permit the General Assembly to reduce items in the Budget Bill
pertaining to the Judiciary Department, and providing for the
submission of this amendment to the qualified voters of the State
of Maryland for their adoption or rejection.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
(Three-fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses
concurring), That the following be and the same is hereby proposed
as an amendment to Section 52(6) of Article III of the Constitution
of Maryland, title "Legislative Department," the same, if adopted
by the legally qualified voters of the State, as herein provided, to
become a part of the Constitution of Maryland:

52.

(6) The General Assembly shall not amend the Budget Bill so
as to affect either the obligations of the State under Section 34 of
Article III of the Constitution, or the provisions made by the laws of
the State for the establishment and maintenance of a system of
public schools or the payment of any salaries required to be paid by
the State of Maryland by the Constitution thereof; and the General
Assembly may amend the bill by increasing or diminishing the items
therein relating to the General Assembly, and by increasing or
diminishing the items therein relating to the judiciary, but except as
hereinbefore specified, may not alter the said bill except to strike out
or reduce items therein, provided, however, that the salary or com-
pensation of any public officer shall not be decreased during his term
of office; and such bill, when and as passed by both Houses, shall be a
law immediately without further action by the Governor.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the aforegoing section
hereby proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of Maryland
shall be, at the next general election, to be held in this State in
November, 1972, submitted to the legal and qualified voters thereof
for their adoption or rejection in pursuance of directions contained