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To: FreeTally
.....Does the Maryland State Constitution give the judicial branch the power to draw district lines?.....

The Maryland State Constitution gives the governor the power with the approval of the assembly. It also sets rules on how the districts may be formed. The governor blatantly violated those rules. Technically the judge should void the plan, reprimand the governor and the governor should be required to submit a new one. In this day of illegal judicial activism, the governor and legislature will allow the judge to draw the districts.-----So, the short answer is no.

Article III, Section 4 of the Maryland Constitution requires legislative districts to be substantially equal in population, compact in form, and contiguous. It also requires a legislative redistricting plan to give “due regard” to the boundaries of political subdivisions. Generally, this means that county, city, and other municipal boundaries should be left intact whenever possible. Article III also requires public hearings to be held before the State legislative plan is enacted. link

15 posted on 06/11/2002 12:07:39 PM PDT by jadimov
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To: jadimov
Thats what I suspected. Badly drawn lines or not, its not Constitutional for the court to draw them itself. I don't think conservatives should cheer when the Constitution(state or federal) is violated to get our way.
17 posted on 06/11/2002 12:16:03 PM PDT by FreeTally
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