Questions 1 through 3 are proposed Maryland Constitutional amendments.
Question 1 - requires judges of the Orphan’s Court for Prince George’s County to have been admitted to practice law in Maryland and be in good standing with the Maryland Bar.
**In Maryland, the Orphan’s Court has jurisdiction over guardianship of minors, and handles estates of people who have died while owning property in their sole name.
Summary: The people in charge of orphaned minors without a guardian are judges and they become the legal guardians of said minors. They are in charge of their estates and finances until the minor turns 18. Voting "for the referred law", you are wanting to pass a law requiring all judges responsible for orphaned minors to be legally allowed to practice law in Maryland (meaning they would have had to pass the state Bar exam) and that they have had no reports of bad conduct.
Question 2 - Similar to Question 1, this lays out the same qualifications for Orphans’ Court judges, except the measure applies to Baltimore County, also.
Summary: See Summary for Question 1.
Question 3 - provides conditions under which an elected official convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors will be removed from office.
**Under existing Maryland law, an elected official who is convicted or pleads no contest is suspended from office and is removed only when the conviction becomes final. If the new amendment is passed, an elected official is suspended from office when found guilty and will be removed from office when the conviction becomes final, or when the elected official pleads guilty or no contest.
Summary: Voting "for the referred law" will pass a law requiring all elected officials who have ever been convicted of a felony or some misdemeanors to be removed from their position.
Question 4 - The Maryland DREAM Act - Establishes that individuals, including undocumented immigrants, are eligible to pay in-state tuition rates at community colleges in Maryland, provided the student meets certain conditions relating to attendance and graduation from a Maryland high school, filing of income taxes, intent to apply for permanent residency, and registration with the selective service system (if required); makes such students eligible to pay in-state tuition rates at a four-year public college or university if the student has first completed 60 credit hours or graduated from a community college in Maryland; provides that students qualifying for in-state tuition rates by this method will not be counted as in-state students for purposes of counting undergraduate enrollment; and extends the time in which honorably discharged veterans may qualify for in-state tuition rates.
Summary: Voting "for the referred law" will give all Maryland High School graduates (whether they're undocumented immigrants, documented immigrants or American citizens) who file income taxes the ability to attend a Maryland 4-year at the in-state tuition rate so long as they complete their 2 year degree at a community college in state. This also extends the time that honorably discharged veterans can qualify for in-state rates.
Question 5 - Congressional Re-districting - Establishes the boundaries for the State’s eight United States Congressional Districts based on recent census figures, as required by the United States Constitution.
Summary: Voting "for the referred law" will change the boundaries for the eight US Congressional Districts based on the census figure.
Question 6 - Same-sex Marriage - Establishes that Maryland’s civil marriage laws allow gay and lesbian couples to obtain a civil marriage license, provided they are not otherwise prohibited from marrying; protects clergy from having to perform any particular marriage ceremony in violation of their religious beliefs; affirms that each religious faith has exclusive control over its own theological doctrine regarding who may marry within that faith; and provides that religious organizations and certain related entities are not required to provide goods, services, or benefits to an individual related to the celebration or promotion of marriage in violation of their religious beliefs.
Summary: Voting "for the referred law" will allow same-sex couples to be legally wed in the state of Maryland, however, it also states that those religions and religious leaders are not required to allow the couple to marry in their religion. (Basically, gay men and women can be married in the law, but religions aren't forced to recognize it)
Question 7 - Casino Expansion - Do you favor the expansion of commercial gaming in the State of Maryland for the primary purpose of raising revenue for education to authorize video lottery operation licensees to operate “table games” as defined by law; to increase from 15,000 to 16,500 the maximum number of video lottery terminals that may be operated in the State; and to increase from 5 to 6 the maximum number of video lottery operation licenses that may be awarded in the State and allow a video lottery facility to operate in Prince George’s County?
Summary: Voting "For the Additional Forms and Expansion of Commercial Gaming" means you support or encourage the increase of the amount of gambling facilities and the amount of things you can gamble on.
