646/Maryland Manual

(b) In addition, and in submitting a name to the
Governor to fill a vacancy in a legislative or delegate
district, as the case may be, in any of the twenty-three
counties of Maryland, the Central Committee or commit-
tees shall follow these provisions:
(1) If the vacancy occurs in a district having the same
boundaries as a county, the Central Committee of the
county shall submit the name of a resident of the district.
(2) If the vacancy occurs in a district which has bound-
aries comprising a portion of one county, the Central
Committee of that county shall submit the name of a
resident of the district.
(3) If the vacancy occurs in a district which has bound-
aries comprising a portion or all of two or more counties,
the Central Committee of each county involved shall have
one vote for submitting the name of a resident of the
district; and if there is a tie vote between or among the
Central Committees, the list of names there proposed shall
be submitted to the Governor, and he shall make the
appointment from the list.

SEC. 14.52 The General Assembly shall meet on the
second Wednesday of January, nineteen hundred and sev-
enty-one, and on the same day in everyyear thereafter, and
at no other time, unless convened by Proclamation of the
Governor. A Proclamation convening the General Assem-
bly in extraordinary session must be issued by the Governor
if a majority of the members elected to the Senate and a
majority of the members elected to the House of Delegates
join in a petition to the Governor requesting that he
convene the General Assembly in extraordinary session,
and the Governor shall convene the General Assembly on
the date specified in the petition. This section does not
affect the Governor's power to convene the General As-
sembly in extraordinary session pursuant to Section 16 of
Article II of this Constitution.

SEC. 15.53 (1) The General Assembly may continue
its session so long as in its judgment the public interest may
require, for a period not longer than ninety days in each
year. The ninety days shall be consecutive unless otherwise
provided by law. The General Assembly may extend its
session beyond ninety days, but not exceeding an addi-
tional thirty days, by resolution concurred in by a three-
fifths vote of the membership in each House. When the
General Assembly is convened by Proclamation of the
Governor, the session shall not continue longer than thirty
days, but no additional compensation other than mileage
and other allowances provided by law shall be paid mem-
bers of the General Assembly for special session.

(2) Any compensation and allowances paid to members
of the General Assembly shall be as established by a
commission known as the General Assembly Compensa-
tion Commission. The Commission shall consist of nine
members, five of whom shall be appointed by the Gover-
nor, two of whom shall be appointed by the President of
the Senate, and two of whom shall be appointed by the
Speaker of the House of Delegates. Members of the Gen-
eral Assembly and officers and employees of the Govern-
ment of the State of Maryland or of any county, city, or
other governmental unit of the State shall not be eligible
for appointment to the Commission. Members of the
Commission shall be appointed for terms of four years

Article III

commencing on June 1 of each gubernatorial election year.
Members of the Commission are eligible for re-appoint-
ment. Any member of the Commission may be removed
by the Governor prior to the expiration of his term for
official misconduct, incompetence, or neglect of duty. The
members shall serve without compensation but shall be
reimbursed for expenses incurred in carrying out their
responsibilities under this section. Decisions of the Com-
mission must be concurred in by at least five members.

(3) Within 15 days after the beginning of the regular
session of the General Assembly in 1974 and within 15 days
after the beginning of the regular session in each fourth year
thereafter, the Commission by formal resolution shall submit
its determinations for compensation and allowances to the
General Assembly The General Assembly may reduce or
reject, but shall not increase any item in the resolution. The
resolution, with any reductions that shall have been con-
curred in by joint resolution of the General Assembly, shall
take effect and have the force of law as of the beginning of
the term of office of the next General Assembly. Rates of
compensation and pensions shall be uniform for all members
of the General Assembly, except that the officers of the
Senate and the House of Delegates may receive higher
compensation as determined by the General Assembly
Compensation Commission. The provisions of the Com-
pensation Commission resolution shall continue in force
until superseded by any succeeding resolution.

(4) In no event shall the compensation and allowances
be less than they were prior to the establishment of the
Compensation Commission.

SEC. 16. No book, or other printed matter not apper-
taining to the business of the session, shall be purchased,
or subscribed for, for the use of the members of the General
Assembly, or be distributed among them, at the public
expense.

SEC. 17. No Senator or Delegate, after qualifying as
such, notwithstanding he may thereafter resign, shall dur-
ing the whole period of time, for which he was elected, be
eligible to any office, which shall have been created, or the
salary, or profits of which shall have been increased, during
such term.

SEC. 18. No Senator or Delegate shall be liable in any
civil action, or criminal prosecution, whatever, for words
spoken in debate.

SEC. 19.54 Each House shall be judge of the qualifi-
cations and elections of its members, as prescribed by the
Constitution and Laws of the State, and shall appoint its
own officers, determine the rules of its own proceedings,
punish a member for disorderly or disrespectful behaviour
and with the consent of two-thirds of its whole number of
members elected, expel a member; but no member shall be
expelled a second time for the same offence.

SEC. 20. A majority of the whole number of members
elected to each House shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business; but a smaller number may adjourn
from day to day, and compel the attendance of absent
members, in such manner, and under such penalties, as each
House may prescribe.