Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Maryland.
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14 Facts About Maryland Senate
2.
Elections for the 47 Maryland Senate seats are held every four years coincident with the federal election in which the President of the United States is not elected.
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3.
The Maryland Senate meets for three months every year; the rest of the year the work of the Maryland Senate is light and most members hold another job during this time.
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4.
In 1776, following the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, Maryland Senate threw off proprietary control and established a new constitution.
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5.
The refusal to elect a State Senate prevented the election of a Governor, as Maryland's governors were elected by the legislature.
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6.
Special session of the legislature in 1965 changed the Maryland Senate to represent 16 districts and reapportioned the seats, again by county, but did so in such a way as to make the representation more proportional to population than it had been.
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7.
Unlike the House of Delegates, the Maryland Senate has the sole responsibility in the state's legislative branch for confirming gubernatorial appointees to positions that require confirmation.
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8.
The Maryland Senate has sole responsibility for trying any persons that have been impeached by the House of Delegates.
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9.
Senators elect a President of the Maryland Senate, who serves as the presiding officer of the chamber.
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10.
The President of the Maryland Senate has significant influence over legislation that passes through the body through both formal means, such as his ability to appoint committee chairs and leaders of the majority party, and informal means that are less easily defined.
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11.
Should a Maryland Senate seat become vacant in the middle of a term, because of death, illness, incapacitation, disqualification, resignation, or expulsion of a member of the Maryland Senate, that seat is filled by appointment.
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12.
Maryland Senate has a voluntary legislator pension plan to which both senators and delegates have access.
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13.
Seating in the Maryland Senate is by party, with the leaders of each party choosing the exact seating assignments.
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14.
Typical session of the Maryland Senate begins with a call to order by the President of the Maryland Senate.
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