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ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor S.B. 257
In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland Constitution, today I have
vetoed Senate Bill 257 - Maryland Commission for Women.
Senate Bill 257 changes the composition and appointment process of the Maryland
Commission for Women, an executive entity that has been advising the office of the
Governor and the legislature since 1965. The provisions of this bill allow the Governor
to appoint only nine commissioners with the advice and consent of the Senate, and
allow the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House to appoint eight
commissioners each without the advice and consent of the Senate. Some of the
members are nominated by organizations in the State with interest in women's
issues, and the remaining members may apply on their own behalf. Additionally, the
bill requires the Commission to inform the executive and legislative branches of
government on issues concerning women, including testimony on issues before
legislative and administrative bodies.
Under current law, the Governor appoints the 24 members of the Commission from a
wide array of individuals interested in the improvement of the status of women in
Maryland. The Governor also designates the chairman and vice-chairman of the
Commission. The commissioners are all non-partisan and represent a diverse group
of business owners, teachers, and law enforcement personnel who are experienced in
public affairs, private industry, or volunteerism. The commissioners represent various
age groups, ethnicities, and geographical regions of the State.
Since its inception, the Maryland Commission for Women has been a part of the
Executive Branch. The Executive Director of the Maryland Commission for Women
reports to the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources who, in turn, reports
to me. As the Governor, one of my responsibilities is to respond to the concerns of the
citizens of Maryland. I entrust certain entities, such as the Maryland Commission for
Women, to advise me of citizen concerns, and I set policy in consideration of the
advice.
It is abundantly clear that Senate Bill 257 is a reaction to the Commission's decision
last fall to merge the function of the Legislative Agenda for Maryland Women into its
internal Legislative and Public Policy Committee, which is responsible for building a
legislative agenda for the Commission in collaboration with the Governor's office. The
Legislative Agenda for Maryland Women was never a component of the Maryland
Commission for Women. It has always been an outside, separately funded
organization and over the past few years, the Maryland Commission for Women
generously has donated its resources and time to this outside umbrella organization
of advocacy groups. The decision to merge the Legislative Agenda for Maryland
Women into the Commission was made to better utilize the Commission resources
and to bring the proper function into an existing committee in the Commission.
While the overall purpose of the Commission remains unchanged in Senate Bill 257,
again I am extremely concerned with the General Assembly's affinity for legislation
that reorganizes entities within the Executive branch of government. The growing
number of bills this General Assembly has passed that seek to curtail the powers of
the executive branch of government is unprecedented and unwarranted.
For the above stated reasons, I have vetoed Senate Bill 257.
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