Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-09-24
CHAPTER 673.


An Act to amend the Constitution of
Maryland by adding thereto a new Article
to be entitled. Article XVII providing for
The Referendum" and to provide for the
submission of said amendment to the
qualified voters of the State for 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
new and additional Article, to be known
as Article XVI, title, The Referendum"
be and the same is hereby proposed as an
amendment to the Constitution of Mary
land, and if adopted by the legal and quail
fled voters thereof as herein provided, it
shall stand as part and as a new and ad-
ditional Article Of said Constitution, to be
known and entitled as aforesaid
ARTICLE XVI. THE REFERENDUM.
Section (a). The people reserve 10
themselves the power known as The Refer
endum, by petition to have submitted to
the registered voters of the State, to ap-
prove or reject at the polls, any Act, or
part Of any Act Of the General Assembly,
if approved by the Governor, or, if passed
by the General Assembly over the veto of
the Governor
(b) The provisions of this Article shall
be self-executng; provided that additional
legislation in furtherance thereof and not
in conflict Herewith may be enacted
| Sec. z. No law enacted by the General
Assembly shall take effect until the first
day OF June next after the session at which
il may be passed. unless it contain Sec
ton declaring such law an EMERGENCY law
and necessary for the immediate preserva-
ton Of the public health or safety, and
passed upon yea and ney vote supported
by three-fifths of all the members elected
to each Of the two Houses of the General
Assembly; provided, however, that said
period OF suspension may be extended as
provided in Section 8 (b) hereof If before
said first day of June there shall have been
filed with the Secretary of the State pc
tiuon to refer to vote Of the people any
law or part Of law capable of referendum,
as in this Article provided, the same shall
be referred by the Secretary of State to
such vote, and shall not become law or
take effect until thirty days after its ap-
proval by majority Of the electors voting
thereon at the next election held through
out the State Of Members for the House of
Representatives Of the United States An
emergency law shall remain in force not
outstanding such petition, but shall stand
repealed thirty days after having been
rejected by a majority of the qualified
electors voting thereon; provided. however,
that no measure creating or abolishing any
office, or changing the salary, term or duty
OF any officer. or granting any franchise or
special privilege, or creating any vested
right or interest, shall be enacted as an
emergency law. No law making any ap-
preparation for maintaining the State Gov
eminent. or for maintaining or aiding any
public institution, not exceeding the next
previous appropriation for the same pur-
pose, shall be subject to rejection or repeal
under this section. The increase in any
such appropriation for maintaining or aid
ing any public institution shall only take
effect as in the case Of other laws, and such
increase or any part thereof specified in
the petition. may be referred to vote of
the people upon petition.
Sec. (a). The referendum petition
against an Act or part of an Act passed
by the General Assembly shall be sufficient
II signed by ten thousand qualified voters
OF the State of Maryland of whom not
more than half shall be residents of Balti-
more City. or Of any one county: provided
that any public local law for any one coun-
ty or the City of Baltimore shall be referred
by the Secretary of State only to the peO-
pie OF said county or City of Baltimore,
upon referendum petition of 10 per cent.
of the qualified voters of said county or
City of Baltimore as the case may be, cal
culated upon the whole number of votes
cast therein respectively for Governor at
the last preceding Gubernatorial election.
(b) If more than one-half. but less than
the full number of signatures required to
complete any referendum petition against
any law passed by the General Assembly,
be filed with Secretary of State before the
first day OF June. the time for the law to
take effect, and for filing the remainder of
signatures to complete the petition shall
be extended to the thirtieth day of the
same month with like effect.
Sec. 4. A petition may consist of several
papers, but each paper shall contain the
full text OF the Act or part of Act petitioned
upon; and there shall be attached to each
such paper an affidavit Of the person pro-
curing the signatures thereon that of the
said person own personal knowledge every
signature thereon is genuine and bona fide,
and that the signers are registered voters
Of the State of Maryland, and of the City of
Baltimore, or county. as the case may be,
as set opposite their names, and no other
verification shall be required.
Sec. (a). The General Assembly shall
provide for furnishing the voters of the
State the text Of all measures to be voted
upon by the people; provided, that until
otherwise provided by law the same shall
be published in the manner prescribed by
Article XIV OF the Constitution for the pub
LEGATION Of proposed Constitutional Amend
ments.
(b) All laws referred under the provis-
ions Of this Article shall be submitted sep
arately on the ballots to the voters of the
people, but il containing more than two
hundred words. the full text shall not be
printed on the official ballots but the Sec
rotary of State shall prepare and submit a
ballot title OF each such measure in such
form as 10 present the purpose of said
measure concisely and intellieently, The
ballot title may be distinct from the leeis-
lative title, but in any case the legisla-
tive title shall be sufficient. Upon each
of the ballots, following the ballot title or
text. as the case may be, of each such
measure, there shall be printed the words,
For the referred law" and Against the
referred law" as the case may be. The
votes cast for and against any such re-
ferred law shall be returned to the Governor
in the manner prescribed with respect to
proposed amendments to the Constitution
under Article XIV of this Constitution, and
the Governor shall proclaim the result of
the election, and, II ii shall appear that the
majority Of the votes cast on any such
measure were cast in favor thereof, the
Governor shall by his proclamation declare
the same having received majority of
the votes TO have been adopted by the
people Of Maryland as part Of the laws
Cf the State. to take effect thirty days after
such election. and in like manner and with
like effect the Governor shall proclaim the
result Of the local election as to any Pub
lie Local Law which shall have been sub
mitted to the voters of any county or the