History of Initiative & Referendum in Maryland

This article was significantly based on an article published by the Initiative & Referendum Institute and is used with their permission. Some portions of this article may have been adapted from Wikipedia, and information on the page may need to be updated.

Maryland does have a process for citizen-initiated veto referendums, but does not have citizen initiatives.

The Maryland General Assembly may propose amendments to the Maryland Constitution. All legislatively referred constitutional amendments must appear on the ballot for approval by voters. In the legislature, each amendment must be passed by three-fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses, by yeas and nays, to be entered on the Journals with the proposed amendment.

Background

By 1900, reformers had organized a Maryland Direct Legislation League, with A. G. Eichelberger as its president. Ten years later the League claimed "more than 1,000 active, working members." In 1914, the League promoted an I&R bill sponsored by State Senator William J. Ogden of Baltimore, but the legislature amended it to remove the initiative provision. This "referendum only" amendment passed both houses in 1915 and was ratified by the voters. The following year the League pressed the legislature for an initiative amendment. Their bill passed the senate with only six dissenting votes, but was tabled (effectively killed) in the house by a 66 to 27 vote. Never again did an initiative amendment come close to approval. Charles J. Ogle, secretary of the League in 1916, attributed the failure to the committee chairmen, "a very active lobby against" the initiative amendment, and rural legislators' fear of the Baltimore masses.

Veto referendums 1915-2022

See also: List of Maryland ballot measures

In Maryland, bills passed by the state legislature can be put before voters through a veto referendum petition.

• Signature requirement: 3 percent of the gubernatorial vote
• Result of a yes vote: targeted law upheld
• Result of a no vote: targeted law repealed
• Allows for veto referendums on emergency legislation
• Successful veto referendum petitions on non-emergency legislation suspend the targeted law until the election
• Successful veto referendum petitions on emergency legislation do not suspend the targeted law until the election

Year	State	Subject	Measure	Outcome for target law
2012	Maryland	Redistricting	Question 5: Congressional Redistricting Maps	Upheld
2012	Maryland	Marriage	Question 6: Same-Sex Civil Marriage	Upheld
2012	Maryland	Education	Question 4: In-State Tuition for Immigrants Without Legal Residence	Upheld
2006	Maryland	Elections	Question 4: Rules Governing State and Local Boards of Elections	Upheld
1992	Maryland	Abortion	Question 6: Prohibit State Involvement in Woman's Abortion Decision Before Viability	Upheld
1988	Maryland	Firearms	Question 3: Prohibit Manufacture and Sale of Certain Handguns	Upheld
1974	Maryland	Education	Question 14: State Services for Private School Students	Repealed
1972	Maryland	Education	Question 18: State Scholarships for Private School Students	Repealed
1970	Maryland	Government	Question 11: Community Development Administration	Repealed
1968	Maryland	Constitutional rights	Question 4: Prohibit Housing Discrimination	Repealed
1966	Maryland	Transportation	Question 17: Chesapeake Bay Toll Bridge	Repealed
1964	Maryland	Constitutional rights	Question 5: Discrimination in Public Accommodations	Upheld
1960	Maryland	Water	Question 16: Ratification of Potomac River Compact	Upheld
1950	Maryland	Constitutional rights	Question 7: Sedition and Subversive Activities Code	Upheld
1948	Maryland	Terms	Question 8: Commissioner of Motor Vehicles Term	Repealed
1940	Maryland	Government	Question 9: State Industrial Accident Commission Appointments and Terms	Upheld
1940	Maryland	Government	Question 8: Creation of Commission of Fisheries	Repealed
1938	Maryland	Marriage	Question 4: 48-Hour Waiting Period for Marriages	Upheld

See also

• Maryland ballot measures