Maryland 2022 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB895 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0895
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 895
8	8	G1 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 2lr2374
9	9
10	10	By: Senator Smith
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2022
12	12	Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
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18	18	Declaration of Rights – Campaign Financing Right to Know 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of establishing that every individual has a right to know in an open, 3
21	21	timely, and transparent manner about how, when, and by whom money is spent and 4
22	22	from whom money is raised to influence the vote of the individual for candidates for 5
23	23	office and ballot questions; and establishing that a publicly financed election is a 6
24	24	right of the people. 7
25	25
26	26	BY proposing an addition to the Maryland Constitution 8
27	27	Declaration of Rights 9
28	28	Article 48 10
29	29
30	30	Preamble 11
31	31
32	32	WHEREAS, The U.S. Constitution provides the people of this State a representative 12
33	33	government and guarantees the rights of free speech, assembly, and petition; and 13
34	34
35	35	WHEREAS, To fully exercise these rights of self–government, the public needs 14
36	36	information to choose candidates for office, decide ballot questions, and ensure that elected 15
37	37	officials are responsive to the people; and 16
38	38
39	39	WHEREAS, Our system of representative government depends in part on 17
40	40	guaranteeing that election campaigns are funded by and for the people and on eliminating 18
41	41	the corrupting and undemocratic effects of large private contributions; and 19
42	42
43	43	WHEREAS, The people have the right to know the source of the funds being spent 20
44	44	to influence the State’s elections and governmental actions; and 21
45	45
46	46	WHEREAS, That right includes transparency about how, when, and by and from 22
47	47	whom significant funds are raised and spent to influence elections and governance; now, 23
48	48	therefore, 24 2 SENATE BILL 895
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50	50
51	51
52	52	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
53	53	(Three–fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses concurring), That it be 2
54	54	proposed that the Maryland Constitution read as follows: 3
55	55
56	56	Declaration of Rights 4
57	57
58	58	ARTICLE 48. 5
59	59
60	60	(A) THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAS THE RIGHT TO KNO W INFORMATION IN AN 6
61	61	OPEN, TIMELY, AND TRANSPARENT MANN ER ABOUT HOW , WHEN, AND BY WHOM 7
62	62	MONEY IS SPENT AND FROM WHOM MONEY IS RAISED TO INFLUENCE THE VOTE OF 8
63	63	THE INDIVIDUAL FOR CANDIDATES FOR O FFICE AND BALLOT QUESTIONS . 9
64	64
65	65	(B) THAT A PUBLICLY FINANCED EL ECTION IS A RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE. 10
66	66
67	67	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the General Assembly 11
68	68	determines that the amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this 12
69	69	Act affects multiple jurisdictions and that the provisions of Article XIV, § 1 of the Maryland 13
70	70	Constitution concerning local approval of constitutional amendments do not apply. 14
71	71
72	72	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the amendment to the 15
73	73	Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this Act shall be submitted to the qualified 16
74	74	voters of the State at the next general election to be held in November 2022 for adoption or 17
75	75	rejection pursuant to Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution. At that general election, 18
76	76	the vote on the proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be by ballot, and on each 19
77	77	ballot there shall be printed the words “For the Constitutional Amendment” and “Against 20
78	78	the Constitutional Amendment”, as now provided by law. Immediately after the election, 21
79	79	all returns shall be made to the Governor of the vote for and against the proposed 22
80	80	amendment, as directed by Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution, and further 23
81	81	proceedings had in accordance with Article XIV. 24