Maryland State House of Delegates
| Maryland House of Delegates | |
|---|---|
| Maryland General Assembly | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
|
Term limits
|
None |
| History | |
|
New session started
|
January 14, 2015 |
| Leadership | |
|
Speaker pro Tempore
|
|
|
Majority Leader
|
|
|
Minority Leader
|
|
| Structure | |
| Seats | 141 |
 |
|
|
Political groups
|
Governing party
Opposition party
|
|
Length of term
|
4 years |
| Authority | Article III, Section 2, Maryland Constitution |
| Salary | $43,500/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
|
Last election
|
November 4, 2014 (141 seats) |
|
Next election
|
November 6, 2018 (141 seats) |
| Redistricting | Legislative Control |
| Meeting place | |
 |
|
| House of Delegates Chamber Maryland State House Annapolis, Maryland |
|
| Website | |
| Maryland House of Delegates | |
Governing party
Opposition party
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, the state capital. The State House also houses the Maryland State Senate Chamber and the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Maryland. Each delegate has offices in Annapolis, in the nearby Casper R. Taylor Jr. House Office Building.
The Maryland House of Delegates originated as the Lower House of the General Assembly of the Province of Maryland in 1650, during the time when it was an English colony, when the Assembly (legislature) became a bicameral body. The Lower House often fought with the Upper House for political influence in the colony. The Upper House consisted of the Governor and his Council, all personally appointed by Lord Baltimore and Proprietor of the Province, and thus tended to protect his interests in Maryland. Conversely, the Lower House tended to push for political change in the colony, claiming to be the true elected representatives of the people.
In this context, the Lower House continually fought for more power by asserting exclusive rights in certain legislative areas, such as levying taxes and originating money bills. This reflected similar attitudes in the other colonies on the East Coast of North America with the beginnings and growth of representative government during the 17th century, as each province's representatives constantly agitated for more rights, powers, and respect from the Proprietors, Governors, and even the King and Parliament in London.
The Governor also had some measure of control over the Lower House in the late seventeenth century. Despite the fact that each county was entitled to elect four delegates, the governor selected only two of these to sit in the Lower House. This enabled the Governor to control the Lower House's membership.
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Wikipedia