"A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important?" -George Washington
As one of the original thirteen colonies, Maryland has been around since America's beginning. Its capitol building is the oldest in the nation still in use, and the Old Line state was the seventh to ratify the Constitution on April 28, 1788. Since then, there have been surprisingly few changes in the Maryland legislature.
Nevertheless, many Marylanders are a bit rusty on the goings-on of their state government. Fortunately, Convention of States Action has got it covered! Here are the answers to some common questions about the Maryland General Assembly.
What is the difference between the House of Delegates and the Senate?
Just as in the federal government, the Maryland legislature is divided in two to maintain checks and balances.
The House of Delegates is made up of delegates who represent the individual voting districts of Maryland. Each delegate speaks for a certain number of people, so the amount of delegates is linked to the population.
Naturally, the Maryland Senate is made up of senators, who each represent a certain voting district. Each district has one senator regardless of population.
How is the legislature organized?
Legislative districts are geographical areas based on population, where the boundary lines are defined by the process set forth in the Maryland Constitution and redistricting, which occurs every 10 years. Each district must consist of adjoining territory, be compact in form, and of equal population.
The 47 legislative districts in Maryland are represented by one senator and three delegates. Therefore the legislature contains 47 senators and 141 delegates, for a total of 188 legislators.
Why do some districts have one delegate, and some have more? How are the delegates elected by the people?
In most districts, the three delegates are elected at large from the entire district, via block voting. In some more sparsely populated areas of the state, the districts are divided into sub-districts for election of delegates into a) three one-delegate subdivided districts or b) one two-delegate subdistrict
and one, one-delegate subdistrict.
What is the difference between a legislature and a committee?
The legislature is the official group of legislators who pass laws and resolutions. Committees are small groups of legislators who decide whether bills are passed on for an official floor vote. This prevents every single bill from being brought to the floor, otherwise the legislature would be in constant session.
During committee hearings, citizens can come forward and speak either in support of or opposition to legislation. If you wish to voice your support for the Convention of States Action resolution, go to My MGA and make an account, then watch for the resolution. It will be announced in the House of Delegates Rules and Executive Nominations Committee and the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee.
How do I find/contact my legislator?
Information on one's state legislators can be found here:
When do elections take place?
Senators and Delegates are elected every four years. The next election will be in 2022.
What's the difference between a precinct and a district?
For the majority of states, a precinct is the smallest electoral division, typically with only one polling place. Political parties will elect precinct teams with captains to represent those districts. These teams will choose which candidates run for the party, as well as overseeing processes come election time.
Currently, many of these seats remain vacant, causing a large amount of decision-making authority to fall on a select few.
Voting districts are much bigger than precincts and are represented directly by state legislators. A map of Maryland's voting districts can be found here. (Allow a few seconds for load time).
What is the difference between a resolution and a law?
A law is a bill that, once approved by committee and brought to the floor, is passed by both houses and signed by the governor.
A resolution need only be approved in committee and passed by the House and Senate, such as the COSA resolution. The governor can support the resolution and even sign it, but he has no official role in its final passage.
How often does the Maryland legislature meet?
Once a year for 90 days, during the legislative session. Maryland's legislature will next meet the second Wednesday in January of 2022. During this session, the Convention of States Maryland team will present our resolution in both houses.
What is redistricting/gerrymandering?
Redistricting is when the voting districts are redrawn as a result of the population census done every 10 years. The process for redistricting is defined by Article III, Section 5 of the Maryland Constitution.
Gerrymandering is when the committee that draws the maps purposefully skews the lines to favor one political party.
Maryland is the most gerrymandered state in the union, and many citizens have joined the COS movement because they're frustrated with all the gerrymandered districts.
Who draws the legislative districts?
Unelected committee members selected by the Maryland legislature. Recently, there were two committees tasked with redrawing the districts. One was backed by the governor that attempted to undo some of the gerrymandering in Maryland.
The attempt was defeated by the establishment committee, whose map retained the skewed lines. There is currently a court case on the issue.
How do we pass an Article V resolution in the Maryland legislature?
Come legislative session time, the COS resolution must be sponsored by at least one legislator in both the House of Delegates and Senate. It must then be approved by committee and go the floor for a vote in each house. A 51% majority in both is all that's needed for Maryland to call for a Convention of States.
Legislators will not know to support Convention of States Action unless they receive emails, phone calls, and especially handwritten letters and testimony from their constituents.
For more information on the Article V convention process, click here.
For more information on the Maryland General Assembly and COS Action, click here.
If you have any other questions about the Article V resolution and Maryland's General Assembly, COS Maryland holds an all-team meeting the first Monday of every month, and you are welcome to join us and participate in self-governance.
