Evening star., 1947-01-21
aykCIeared
For Committee
Action on Bills
Maryland Assembly
To Shorten Sessions
To Expedite Work
BY the Assoeiafsd Press


ANNAPOLIS, Jan. 21.-The way
was clear today for various commit
tees of the General Assembly to be-
gin passing on 225 bills which have
been introduced since the Assembly
convened January 1.
Leaders announced daily sessions
in the immediate future would be
brief so as to allow more time for
committee work.
Last nights Senate session lasted
13 minutes and the House met only
% minutes. One bill was introduced
in each house.
Senate President Byrnes intro
duced measure which calls for an
amendment to the constitution to
limit the tenure Of Maryland Gov
ernors to two consecutive elected
terms.
First Of Long List.
It was the first of what spokes-
men for Gov. Lane said would be q
long list of administration measures
to be introduced during the 1947
session.
Under the bill, a Governor could
serve two terms, wait out the inter-
vening four years of another chief
executives tenure, and then be
elected to two more terms.
A Governor named to succeed one
who has not filled out an elected
term could still go before the elec-
torate as candidate in the next
two elections. Gov. Lane, who filled
out the last five days OF Senator
O'Conor's term as Governor, comes
under this category.
The measure received by the
House would require a blood test
before issuance of marriage license.
Patterned after a similar bill which
failed of passage at the 1945 session,
it was introduced by Delegate Reed,
Democrat, of Baltimore.
School Provision. .
Legislators and officials at the
State House today juggled the ques-
ton of how proposal empowering
the General Assembly to pass judg-
ment on the State public school
budget got into Senate bill provid-
ing for an annual session of the
Legislature.
The school proposal is included in
Senate bill 64, which calls for an
amendment to the constitution. The
amendment would be voted upon
in the 1948 general election. Among
other things it provides for an an
nual budget-including the school
appropriations.
Six of the nine members of the
Legislative Council Subcommittee
which was reported to have approved
the bill said they had no recollec-
ton of ever hearing of the school
proposal. A seventh member re-
called the proposal but definitely
said it was not approved.
Only John b. Funk, Secretary Of
State, and former Senator Wilmer
Fell Davis, Republican, contend the
committee approved the proposal.
They also said it was Walter N.
Kirkman, State director of budget
and procurement, who suggested the
change.
But Mr.. Kirkman replied:
II don't remember discussing that
proposal before the Legislative
Council Committee I had no de-
sire to push the bill and until DR..
Thomas G. Pullen, jr., State school
superintendent, called me the last
week didn't know it was even in
the bill."-
Representation Report on Way.
Meanwhile, it was indicated that
the Lane-appointed committee to
study reallocation of representation
in the General Assembly might have
its report ready for the Governor
within two weeks.
The committee, headed by former
Attorney General William c. Walsh,
was appointed to work out ways of
providing Baltimore City and the
more populous counties greater pro-
portional representation in the Gen.
eral Assembly.
Gov. Lane and the Democratic
party are pledged to give the city
and larger counties more equitable"
representation.
Among the bills up for discussion
by the House Agricultural and Nat
ural Resources Committee today are
IL relating to State game laws.