Evening star., 1955-01-09
9O-DaY Session Seen
Producing 100 Laws
Costing $4,000
By Gene Goodwin
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ANNAPOLIS, Jan. 8. - The
Maryland General Assembly Is
on on another 0O-day session
which probably ! win produce
about 1850 bills. TOO laws and
millions Of worthy and WORTH
less words.
All this win cost the tax
payers Of Maryland close to
100000.
Whether John 20. Public gets
his moneys worth Is dependent
not only on the l52 legislators
themselves. but hundreds Of
others. including clerks. political
bosses, proofreaders, the Cover
nor. secretaries, lobbyists, bill
drafters and newspaper re-
porterS.
The Legislature meets every
winter In Maryland's historic
Statehouse. which was built in
I772 and Is the Oldest Statehouse
In America still In daily use.
But many Of the laws actually
are cooked up In Carvel Hall.
Colonial-type hotel which has
some rooms nine years older than
the Statehouse.
Half Commute.
About half Of the legislators
commute to their homes each
night, but most of those who
stay in town stay at Carvel Hall.
Toward the end of q session,
when night meetings OF the
Legislature become common, the
commuters are few and 1t Is
dificult to iind q chair ct MIDI
night In Carvel's spacious tap
room.
The current session. which
got under way wednesday and
will run until early April. Is un-
der the firm control Of the
Democrats. They hold II Of the
20 seats in the Senate and 90 Of
the i23 seats in the House Of
Delegates.
About half Of the members Of
this Legislature are freshmen,
elected to four-year terms In
November.
There are five women mem
bers, Senator Mary L. Knock,
Democrat, Of Wicomico County,
and delegates Lottie r. Brins-
field. Democrat. Of Dorchester
County. Mrs. Margaret C..
Echweinhaut, Democrat, Of
Montgomery County. Mrs. Myr-
tie A. Polk, Democrat, Of Wor-
cester County, and Mrs. Doro-
thy jackson. Democrat, OF Bal
tinnore County.
There are two blind delegates
&C. Clifton Virts. Democrat, Of
Frederick County, and Charles
See. Republican. Of Aliegany
County. They always are ac-
companied by their highly
trained seeing eve dogs.
This Maryland Legislature Is
also the first in Its history to
have Negro representatives.
Three Negroes were elected from
Baltimore's 4th District. They
are Senator Harry A. Cole. Re-
publican. and delegates Truly
Hatchett. Democrat, and Emory
n. Cole. Republican.
How They Are Apportioned.
In apportioning the seats In
the two chambers. Baltimore
City Is divided into six legislative
districts, which are regarded the
same as counties. In the Sem
ate, each Of the % counties and
SIX city districts has one Sena-
tor.
In the House, the city districts
and the larger counties (Mont-
gomery, Prince Georges. Alle-
gany. Anne Arundel, Baltimore.
Frederick and Washington) each
have the constitutional maximum
OF six delegates. The other
counties have from two TO I'VE
delegates. depending upon their
population.
Contrary to what most people
believe, legislators actually draft
very few bills themselves. In
Maryland. the Department OF
Legislative Reference. headed by
o PhD.-Dr. Carl N. Everstine,
drafts more than 90 per cent Of
the bills introduced in the AS
sembly.
A freshman legislatorsay,
one who is in the real estate
business and has little intimate
knowledge Of law--cari go to DR..
Everstine and literally get q bill
drawn up on any subject under
the sun.
Fiscal Assistance.
Also on hand to aid the Sena-
tors and Delegates IS the Fiscal
Research Bureau. which inter-
prets facts and figures for the
two big money committees here
THE Senate Finance Commit
tee and the House Ways and
Means Committee.
The Attorney General and
some Of his assistants also move
into an office in the State house
during sessions to deliver both
official and off-the-cuI opinions
at the drop of q hat.
The Maryland Legislature uses
the fairly standard "three-read-
ines" system for processing bills
toward enactment. Bills are said
to be read for the first time
when they are introduced and
referred to q committee, for the
second time when the House or
Senate accepts the cornmittee's
action On D BILL. and for the
third time ct final passage. A
bill has to 60 through those
three stages In both chambers
before It is enacted and Is sent
TO the Governor for his sigma
ture or veto.
Under Maryland law, act
vetoed BY the Governor are re-