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77-754: Minority The Maryland Senate , sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate , is the upper house of the General Assembly , the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland . Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single-member districts, the Senate is responsible, along with the Maryland House of Delegates , for passage of laws in Maryland, and for confirming executive appointments made by

154-497: A "house of review" chamber; for this reason, its powers of direct action are often reduced in some way. Some or all of the following restrictions are often placed on upper houses: In parliamentary democracies and among European upper houses the Italian Senate is a notable exception to these general rules, in that it has the same powers as its lower counterpart: any law can be initiated in either house and must be approved in

231-824: A Legislative Council prior to joining Canada , as did Ontario when it was Upper Canada and Quebec from 1791 (as Lower Canada ) to 1968. Nebraska is the only state in the United States with a unicameral legislature, having abolished its lower house in 1934, while the Senate of Nebraska , the upper house prior to 1934, continues to assemble. The Australian state of Queensland also once had an appointed Legislative Council before abolishing it in 1922. All other Australian states continue to have bicameral systems, though all members are now directly elected (the two self-governing territories, along with Norfolk Island until 2016, have always been unicameral). Like Queensland,

308-462: A bill so that it does not fit within the legislative schedule, or until a general election produces a new lower house that no longer wishes to proceed with the bill. Nevertheless, some states have long retained powerful upper houses. For example, the consent of the upper house to legislation may be necessary (though, as noted above, this seldom extends to budgetary measures). Constitutional arrangements of states with powerful upper houses usually include

385-478: A call to order by the President of the Senate. After the call to order, the previous day's journal is approved, petitions are heard, and orders involving committee and leadership appointments or changes to the rules are presented. First, readings of legislation take place. Senators are then given leeway to introduce any visitors, often people observing its deliberations from the gallery above the Senate chamber. Then

462-571: A majority of seats in the Maryland Senate are held by members of the Democratic Party, with 34 Democrats and 13 Republicans, greater than a two-thirds majority. This dominance is nothing new, as Democrats have had strong majorities in the chamber for decades. Democrats tend to control seats in the large population centers such as Baltimore City, Montgomery County , and Prince George's County , while Republicans control most seats on

539-407: A means to resolve situations where the two houses are at odds with each other. In recent times, parliamentary systems have tended to weaken the powers of upper houses relative to their lower counterparts. Some upper houses have been fully abolished; others have had their powers reduced by constitutional or legislative amendments. Also, conventions often exist that the upper house ought not to obstruct

616-453: A negative committee report. Once a committee has weighed in on a piece of legislation, the bill returns to the floor for second hearing, called the "consideration of committee" report, and a third hearing, which happens just before the floor vote on it. Once passed by the Senate, a bill is sent to the House of Delegates for consideration. If the House also approves the bill without amendment, it

693-503: A secretary who assists them during the legislative session. There is also an allowance given to help pay for district offices. To be eligible to run for the Maryland Senate, a person must be a citizen and be at least 25 years old. They must also have lived in the state for at least one year, and must have lived in the district in which they are to run for at least six months, assuming the district has existed with its current boundaries for at least that long. No elected or appointed official of

770-621: A third of the senate would be elected every two years, a single Senator was chosen by direct election from each county and the City of Baltimore, and vacancies were filled by special elections. The Senate no longer acted as the Governor's Council, although they would continue to confirm the Governor 's appointments. Constitutional changes altered this new system slightly in 1851 , when terms were shortened to four years, and 1864 , when Baltimore City

847-776: A whip, referred to as a majority and minority leader and whip. As Democrats currently control a majority of seats in the Senate, their leader is referred to as the Majority Leader, and their caucus is able to influence legislation to a greater extent than the Republican caucus. The Majority Leader and Minority leader are responsible for managing their party's participation in debate on the floor. Party caucuses also raise and distribute campaign money to assist their candidates. The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and Women Legislators of Maryland, caucuses of African-American and female Senators respectively, also play prominent roles in

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924-524: Is constitutionally limited in the extent to which it may influence the latter; it may only decrease the Governor's budget proposal, not increase it. Unlike the House of Delegates, the Senate has the sole responsibility in the state's legislative branch for confirming gubernatorial appointees to positions that require confirmation. After the Governor forwards his nomination to the Senate, the Executive Nominations Committee reviews

1001-500: Is filled by appointment. The Central Committee of the previous Senator's party in the county or counties in which the Senate district lies makes a recommendation to the Governor on whom to appoint to the seat. Within fifteen days of the Central Committee's recommendation being selected, the Governor must appoint that person to the vacant seat. The 47 districts from which senators are elected are apportioned every ten years on

1078-629: Is rare, however, for an incumbent to be challenged. Members of the State Senate and the House of Delegates, besides the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Delegates (referred to as the "Presiding Officers"), earn the same salary. These salaries are determined by the General Assembly Compensation Commission. After two terms, 2007-2010 and 2011-2014, during which the salary for members of

1155-420: Is sent to the Governor. If there is amendment, however, the Senate may either reconsider the bill with amendments or ask for the establishment of a conference committee to work out differences in the versions of the bill passed by each chamber. Once a piece of legislation approved by both houses is forwarded to the Governor, it may either be signed or vetoed. If it is signed, it takes effect on the effective date of

1232-598: Is sometimes seen as having a special role of safeguarding the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom and important civil liberties against ill-considered change. The House of Lords has a number of ways to block legislation and to reject it; however, the House of Commons can eventually use the Parliament Act to force something through. The Commons will often accept amendments passed by the Lords; however,

1309-642: Is the British House of Lords . Under the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 , the House of Lords can no longer prevent the passage of most bills, but it must be given an opportunity to debate them and propose amendments, and can thereby delay the passage of a bill with which it disagrees. Bills can only be delayed for up to one year before the Commons can use the Parliament Act, although economic bills can only be delayed for one month. The House of Lords

1386-419: The 14th Amendment . Disproportionate population growth across Maryland since 1838 meant that the principle of one seat per county gave the voters of some counties, such as those on the eastern shore, disproportionate representation. Other counties, especially those in suburban areas, were underrepresented. A special session of the legislature in 1965 changed the Senate to represent 16 districts and reapportioned

1463-488: The Continental Congress . The eighth session decided that the continuation of an ad hoc government by the convention was not a good mechanism for governing the state and that a more permanent and structured government was needed. So, on July 3, 1776, they resolved that a new convention be elected that would be responsible for drawing up their first state constitution , one that did not refer to parliament or

1540-607: The Democratic Party won 53% of the statewide vote for the electoral college, but ended up with only nineteen of forty electors. When the Whig electors planned to elect an all-Whig State Senate, the Democratic electors absconded, denying the electoral college a quorum. The refusal to elect a State Senate also prevented the election of a Governor , as Maryland's governors were elected by the legislature. Ultimately, however,

1617-576: The English Civil War , as Puritan governors attempted to consolidate control and prevent the return of any proprietary influence. It was again abolished by Governor Josias Fendall in 1660, who sought to create a colonial government based on an elected unicameral legislature like that of the Virginia colony. The position of Governor was removed from the legislature in 1675, but for the following century, its function and powers largely remained

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1694-517: The German state of Bavaria had an appointed second chamber, the Senate of Bavaria , from 1946 to 1999. The Senate of the Philippines was abolished – and restored – twice: from 1935 to 1945 when a unicameral National Assembly convened, and from 1972 to 1987 when Congress was closed, and later a new constitution was approved instituting a unicameral Parliament. The Senate was re-instituted with

1771-462: The Governor of Maryland . It evolved from the upper house of the colonial assembly created in 1650 when Maryland was a proprietary colony controlled by Cecilius Calvert . It consisted of the Governor and members of the Governor's appointed council. With slight variation, the body to meet in that form until 1776, when Maryland, now a state independent of British rule, passed a new constitution that created an electoral college to appoint members of

1848-609: The Maryland General Assembly and indirectly elected State Senators. Voters would elect Senatorial Electors every five years. These men would then meet together to elect a fifteen-member Senate, nine members from the Western Shore and six from the Eastern Shore . If a Senate vacancy occurred between elections, the Senate selected a replacement. The Governor was elected by the joint legislature, not

1925-419: The upper house of a now bicameral legislature. These appointees had close political and economic ties to the proprietors of the Maryland colony, Cecilius Calvert and his descendants. Thus, the upper house in colonial times often disagreed with the lower house , which was elected, tended to be more populist, and pushed for greater legislative power in the colony. The upper house was briefly abolished during

2002-468: The 1776 constitution. Thomas Johnson became the state's first elected governor. The document included a Declaration of Rights. This, among other things, ended the position of the Church of England as the state-supported religion, and granted all Christians , including Roman Catholics , freedom of worship. Free blacks who met the property qualifications continued to be eligible to vote. The declaration

2079-586: The 2018 election, more than two-thirds of the Senate seats were won by Democrats. Senators elect a President to serve as presiding officer of the legislative body, as well as a President Pro Tempore . The President appoints chairs and membership of six standing committees, four legislative committees as well as the Executive Nominations and Rules Committees. Senators are also organized into caucuses, including party- and demographically-based caucuses. They are assisted in their work by paid staff of

2156-604: The 25th District in Prince George's County, is the President Pro Tempore. The Democratic caucus is led by Majority Leader Nancy J. King of the 39th District in Montgomery County. Stephen S. Hershey Jr. of the 36th District, which covers Caroline, Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's counties, was elected as the minority leader by the Senate's Republican Caucus in 2022. Many rules and procedures in

2233-467: The 47 Senate seats are held every four years coincident with the federal election in which the President of the United States is not elected. Vacancies are filled through appointment by the Governor. The Senate meets for three months every year; the rest of the year the work of the Senate is light and most members hold another job during this time. It has been controlled by Democrats since 1900. In

2310-648: The British House of Lords until 1999 and in the Japanese House of Peers until it was abolished in 1947. It is also common that the upper house consists of delegates chosen by state governments or local officials. Members of the Rajya Sabha in India are nominated by various states and union territories, while 12 of them are nominated by the President of India. Similarly, at the state level, one-third of

2387-569: The Democrats' position weakened following the State House elections the following month, when the Whigs won an overwhelming majority. The electors returned, providing a quorum, and an all-Whig Senate was elected. The controversy ultimately resulted in long-term changes to the body in 1838. The electoral college was abolished, terms were lengthened to six years with rotating elections such that

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2464-553: The Eastern Shore and in western Maryland. The chamber has also had significant numbers of women and African-Americans serve, with women averaging around 36% of the seats and African-Americans around 31%. On January 8, 2020, Democratic senator Bill Ferguson , from the 46th district, was elected to the position of Senate president following the retirement of the longest-serving Senate president in both Maryland and American history, Thomas V. Mike Miller . Melony G. Griffith , from

2541-689: The General Assembly was $ 43,500 per year ($ 56,500 for the Presiding Officers), members began receiving annual raises in 2015 such that, at the start of the 2018 General Assembly Session, they will be earning $ 50,330 per year, an increase of about 16 percent over four years. The salaries of the Presiding Officers will be increased to $ 65,371 annually. The increase is being phased in the amounts of approximately $ 1,707 per year for rank-and-file legislators and $ 2,218 per year for

2618-402: The House of Delegates. They must be sworn in before such a trial takes place, and a two-thirds majority is required for conviction of the impeached person. Maryland's Senate consists of senators elected from 47 Senate districts. While each senator has the power to introduce and vote on bills and make motions on the floor, various committees , caucuses , and leadership positions help to organize

2695-539: The Maryland Senate are set by the state constitution. Beyond the constitutional mandates, rules in the Senate are developed by the Rules Committee. The Senate and House of Delegates both meet for ninety days following the second Wednesday in January, although these sessions may be extended for up to thirty days by majority votes in both houses, and special sessions may be called by the Governor. The Senate meets in

2772-664: The Presiding Officers. Senators can also seek reimbursement for expenses related to meals and lodging during the legislative session, and for certain travel expenses related to their duties at any point during the year. They also have access to benefits received by state employees, including health and life insurance as well as retirement savings plans. Maryland has a voluntary legislator pension plan to which both senators and delegates have access. Besides receiving their own benefits, Senators can award up to $ 138,000 each year in scholarships to students of their choosing if those students meet requirements set by Senate rules. As of January 2023,

2849-719: The Senate Chamber of the Maryland State House , which has both gallery seating and a door open to the State House lobby, the latter being mandated by the state constitution. Seating in the Senate is by party, with the leaders of each party choosing the exact seating assignments. Each Senator has offices in Annapolis, in the Miller or James Senate Office Buildings. A typical session of the Senate begins with

2926-536: The Senate committees, members of the Senate also serve on a number of joint committees with members of the House of Delegates. While the committees are established by formal Senate rules, there are a number of caucuses that exercise significant influence over the legislative process. The most powerful of these are the Democratic Caucus and the Republican Caucus, each of which has a leader and

3003-495: The Senate to 47 members, elected from districts proportional to the population. These districts are reapportioned every ten years based on the United States Census to ensure they remain proportional. The Maryland Senate, as the upper house of the bicameral Maryland General Assembly, shares with the Maryland House of Delegates the responsibility for making laws in the state of Maryland. Bills are often developed in

3080-436: The Senate's responsibility to confirm gubernatorial appointments and makes recommendations of approval and disapproval to the body as a whole. Lastly, the Rules Committee sets the rules and procedures of the body. It also has the power to review legislation that has been introduced by a member of the Senate after the deadline for submission, and decide whether to refer it to a standing committee or let it die. Along with serving on

3157-489: The Senate. Professional services for members of the Senate and the House of Delegates are provided by the Department of Legislative Services, which is non-partisan. Individual members are also assisted by partisan staff members, and those in leadership positions have additional partisan staff. These staff members help to manage the offices of the senators. Each senator has one year-round administrative assistant, as well as

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3234-434: The Senate. This electoral college was abolished in 1838 and members began to be directly elected from each county and Baltimore City . In 1972, because of a Supreme Court decision, the number of districts was increased to 47, and the districts were balanced by population rather than being geographically determined. To serve in the Maryland Senate, a person must be a citizen of Maryland 25 years of age or older. Elections for

3311-468: The Senators consider legislation. They begin with unfinished business from the previous session, then consider legislation and special orders with accompanying reports from committees. At the discretion of the presiding officer, the Senate may adjourn at any time, unless a majority of members present object to adjournment. Lobbying is common in Annapolis; there are more than 700 lobbyists registered with

3388-473: The State Senators, and faced no restrictions, other than the geographic requirement, in how they were selected. As a result, it was commonplace for the electoral college to select a State Senate entirely composed of one political party. Only in 1826, when National Republicans won a majority on the electoral college with a pledge to elect a balanced Senate, was more than one party represented. That year,

3465-528: The United States . Party nominations are determined by primary elections. The general election for Senate seats and all other state and federal elections in the normal cycle is held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Should a Senate seat become vacant in the middle of a term, because of death, illness, incapacitation, disqualification, resignation, or expulsion of a member of the Senate, that seat

3542-408: The United States government, including the military , may serve in the Senate, excluding those serving in the military reserves and National Guard . Similarly, no employees of the state government may serve, except for law enforcement officers, firefighters, and rescue workers. Members of the Maryland Senate are elected every four years, in off-year elections in the middle of terms for Presidents of

3619-762: The United States. Each committee has between 10 and 15 members. Four of the standing committees deal primarily with legislation; the Budget and Taxation Committee, the Education, Energy, and Environment Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Judicial Proceedings Committee. The Chairs of these legislative committees have the power to determine whether their committees will hear a bill, and they therefore have significant influence over legislation. The Executive Nominations Committee manages

3696-523: The Weatherill Amendment to the House of Lords Act 1999 , which preserved 92 hereditary peers in the house. Compromise and negotiation between the two houses make the Parliament Act a very rarely used backup plan. Even without a veto, an upper house may defeat legislation. Its opposition may give the lower chamber a chance to reconsider or even abandon a controversial measure. It can also delay

3773-591: The abolition, while the centrist Fianna Fáil was alone among major parties in supporting the retention of the Seanad. Maryland Constitution of 1776 In the months before the beginning of the American Revolutionary War , a group of powerful Marylanders formed an association that eventually took the form of a convention in Annapolis . This group made preparations to form a new government for Maryland and sent representatives to participate in

3850-462: The basis of population. Maryland's constitution explicitly defines the process for the drawing of these districts, requiring that the Governor make a recommendation of a new electoral map and submit it for legislative approval. As of 2005, there were approximately 112,000 people in each district. Each Senate district also elects three Delegates, and incumbent senators and delegates will often run jointly as members of incumbent slates in their districts. It

3927-449: The business of government for frivolous or merely partisan reasons. These conventions have tended to harden with a passage of time. In presidential systems, the upper house is frequently given other powers to compensate for its restrictions: There are a variety of ways an upper house's members are assembled: by direct or indirect election, appointment or a mixture of these. Many upper houses are not directly elected but appointed: either by

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4004-402: The cities of Baltimore and Annapolis , was required to select nine senators from the western shore and six from the eastern shore . The first election under the 1776 constitution took place in 1781, and the system would not change again until 1838. In the interim, a number of problems had cropped up in the appointment process. Under the 1776 constitution, the electoral college selected all of

4081-439: The electoral college selected 11 National Republicans and four Federalists . Additionally, all vacancies in the State Senate were filled by the Senate itself, which frequently resulted in a disproportionately high share of the Senate having been appointed to fill vacancies. During one session, fourteen out of fifteen senators had been selected to fill vacancies. In 1836, tensions rose over the State Senate's composition. That year,

4158-423: The first of three constitutionally mandated readings on the floor of the Senate, before being assigned to a committee. The decision about whether legislation passes is often made in the committees. Committees can hold legislation and prevent it from reaching the Senate floor. The recommendations of committees on bills carry tremendous weight; it is rare for the Senate as a whole to approve legislation that has received

4235-550: The head of state, by the head of government or in some other way. This is usually intended to produce a house of experts or otherwise distinguished citizens, who would not necessarily be returned in an election. For example, members of the Senate of Canada are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. In the past, some upper houses had seats that were entirely hereditary, such as in

4312-528: The king, but would be a government "...of the people only." On August 1, all freemen with property elected delegates for the Maryland Constitutional Convention of 1776 . They began meeting on August 14, drafted the constitution, and adjourned on November 11. The document was not submitted to the people for ratification . The Assembly of Freemen would not meet again, as it was replaced by the new state government established by

4389-407: The legislation, usually October 1 of that year. If it is vetoed, both the Senate and the House of Delegates must vote by a three-fifths majority to overturn the veto. They may not, however, overturn a veto in the first year of a new term, since the bill would have been passed during the previous session. Additionally, joint resolutions and the budget bill may not be vetoed, although the General Assembly

4466-399: The lower house. A legislature composed of only one house (and which therefore has neither an upper house nor a lower house) is described as unicameral . An upper house is usually different from the lower house in at least one of the following respects (though they vary among jurisdictions): Powers: Status: In parliamentary systems the upper house is frequently seen as an advisory or

4543-511: The majority party, and informal means that are less easily defined. These powers place the President of the Maryland Senate among the strongest state legislature presiding officers in the country. Once legislation is introduced, it is passed to one of the standing committees of the Senate. There are six such committees. As a whole, the Maryland General Assembly has fewer standing committees than any other state legislature in

4620-431: The male citizens who met a minimum property requirement. When adopted, the 1776 constitution allowed 20,000 of the 300,000+ people living in Maryland to vote. Slaves and women could not vote, nor did they have equal rights to men. Only Christians could hold office until 1826, when legislation was adopted allowing Jews to hold office and have equal rights and privileges with Christians. They directly elected delegates to

4697-566: The members of the State Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) are nominated by local governments, one-third by sitting legislators, and the rest are elected by select members of the electorate. The United States Senate was chosen by state legislatures until the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913. The upper house may be directly elected but in different proportions to the lower house - for example,

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4774-462: The nominee and makes a recommendation for confirmation or rejection to the Senate as a whole. Only one gubernatorial nominee in recent history has been rejected; Lynn Buhl, nominated as Maryland Secretary of the Environment by Governor Robert Ehrlich , was rejected over concerns about her qualifications. The Senate also has sole responsibility for trying any persons that have been impeached by

4851-485: The non-partisan Department of Legislative Services and by partisan office staff. The origins of the Maryland Senate lie in the creation of an assembly during the early days of the Maryland colony. This assembly first met in 1637, making it the longest continuously operating legislative body in the United States. Originally, the assembly was unicameral , but in 1650, the Governor and his appointed council began serving as

4928-484: The people directly. And most local offices were appointed by the Governor, with the concurrence of his Executive Council. The 1776 constitution was amended 66 times, most notably in 1837, to, among other things, provide for a popularly elected governor , instead of one chosen by the legislature. The constitution was initially about 8,800 words long. The several amendments added to it between 1792 and 1846 brought its total length to about 15,200 words. Black men who met

5005-476: The period between sessions of the General Assembly by the Senate's standing committees or by individual senators. They are then submitted by senators to the Maryland Department of Legislative Services for drafting of legislative language. Between 2000 and 2005, an average of 907 bills were introduced in the Senate annually during the three-month legislative session. The bill is submitted, and receives

5082-403: The power of county governments in administering their own affairs, and called for separate treasurers and land registrars on Maryland's Eastern and Western Shores. The constitution stipulated that new amendments could be passed by two consecutive sessions of the house of delegates. Despite the declaration that all power emanates from the people, the document kept political power in the hands of

5159-533: The restoration of a bicameral Congress via a constitutional amendment in 1941, and via adoption of a new constitution in 1987. A previous government of Ireland (the 31st Dáil) promised a referendum on the abolition of its upper house , the Seanad Éireann , during the 24th Seanad session. By a narrow margin, the Irish public voted to retain it. Conservative-leaning Fine Gael and Left-leaning Sinn Féin both supported

5236-404: The same form by both houses. Additionally, a Government must have the consent of both to remain in office, a position which is known as "perfect bicameralism" or "equal bicameralism." The role of a revising chamber is to scrutinise legislation that may have been drafted over-hastily in the lower house and to suggest amendments that the lower house may nevertheless reject if it wishes to. An example

5313-554: The same. In 1776, following the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War , Maryland threw off proprietary control and established a new constitution. Under this new constitution , the upper house of the General Assembly first became known as the Maryland Senate. The new body consisted of fifteen senators appointed to five-year terms by an electoral college . The college, made up of two electors from each county and one each from

5390-427: The seats, again by county, but did so in such a way as to make the representation more proportional to population than it had been. Thus, the eastern shore, which had previously elected nine senators, elected only four after 1965. This was done to preserve the ideal of having whole counties represented by a single Senator, rather than breaking counties up into multiple districts. A constitutional amendment in 1972 expanded

5467-536: The senates of Australia, Brazil and the United States have a fixed number of elected members from each state, regardless of the population. Many jurisdictions once possessed upper houses but abolished them to adopt unicameral systems, including Croatia , Denmark , Estonia , Hungary , Iceland , Iran , Mauritania , New Zealand , Peru , Sweden , Turkey , Venezuela , many Indian states , Brazilian states , Canadian provinces , subnational entities such as Queensland , and some other jurisdictions. Newfoundland had

5544-438: The state. In addition to employment prohibitions laid out in the state constitution, members are barred from advocating for any paying client before any part of the state government. Upper house An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature , the other chamber being the lower house . The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restricted power than

5621-629: The state. While lobbyists may spend freely on advocacy, they are limited in gifts to legislators and in their ability to contribute to campaigns. Ethics issues related to lobbyists and other matters are handled by the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics, a twelve-member committee that includes six senators. Members of the Senate may turn to either this committee or an ethics counsel to help them resolve questions of potential ethical conflict. Members are encouraged to avoid conflicts of interest, and are required to submit public financial disclosures to

5698-561: The two houses have sometimes reached a constitutional standoff. For example, when the Labour Government of 1999 tried to expel all hereditary peers from the Lords, the Lords threatened to wreck the Government's entire legislative agenda and to block every bill which was sent to the chamber. This standoff led to negotiations between Viscount Cranborne, the then Shadow Leader of the House, and the Labour Government, resulting in

5775-423: The work of the Senate. Senators elect a President of the Senate, who serves as the presiding officer of the chamber. They also elect a President Pro Tempore , who presides over the chamber when the President is absent. The President of the Maryland Senate has significant influence over legislation that passes through the body through both formal means, such as his ability to appoint committee chairs and leaders of

5852-545: Was given three Senate districts rather than one, but substantial change to the structure of the Senate did not come again until 1964. In 1964, the Supreme Court ruled in Reynolds v. Sims that state legislative seats must be apportioned on the principle of one man, one vote. A number of state legislatures, including Maryland, had systems based on geography rather than population, and the court rules that this violated

5929-402: Was more than a bill of rights , which enunciates certain rights which are reserved to the people. The declaration stated that all power emanated from the people and that the governors were accountable to the people. The 1776 constitution defined the Maryland General Assembly , a bicameral legislature consisting of the Maryland House of Delegates and Maryland State Senate . It acknowledged

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