In re 2022 Legislative Districting of the State

• Decision Date: 13 April 2022
• Docket Number: 25-2021,26-2021,27-2021,Misc. 21-2021,24-2021
• Parties: IN THE MATTER OF 2022 LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTING OF THE STATE
• Court: Court of Appeals of Maryland

IN THE MATTER OF 2022 LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTING OF THE STATE

Misc. Nos. 21-2021, 24-2021, 25-2021, 26-2021, 27-2021

Court of Appeals of Maryland

April 13, 2022

Getty C.J. Watts Hotten Booth Biran Gould McDonald, Robert N (Senior Judge, Specially Assigned), JJ.

ORDER

Joseph M. Getty, Chief Judge

ORDER

WHEREAS pursuant to the provisions of Article III, § 5 of the Constitution of Maryland, on January 27, 2022, the General Assembly of Maryland enacted Senate Joint Resolution 2, which constitutes the Legislative Redistricting Plan of 2022, and

WHEREAS the Attorney General of Maryland having filed a motion to promulgate procedures to govern any petitions brought under Article III, § 5 of the Constitution of Maryland, and

WHEREAS petitions challenging the validity of the Plan having been filed and an evidentiary hearing having been held before a Special Magistrate appointed by this Court, and

WHEREAS on April 4, 2022, the Special Magistrate filed a report recommending that the petitions filed in the cases be denied, and on April 8, 2022, exceptions to the report were filed in this Court, and

WHEREAS, a hearing on the petitions and exceptions to the report of the Special Magistrate having been held before this Court on April 13, 2022, and WHEREAS, the Court having determined that the Plan enacted into law on January 27, 2022 is consistent with the requirements of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Maryland, For reasons to be stated later in an opinion to be filed, it is this 13th day of April, 2022, ORDERED, by the Court of Appeals of Maryland, a majority concurring as to the decision in In the Matter of Legislative Districting of the State, Misc. Nos. 25 and 27, September Term, 2021, that the exceptions filed by Petitioners in In the Matter of Legislative Districting of the State, Misc. Nos. 25, 26 and 27, September Term, 2021, are overruled in each case and that the relief sought in the petitions is denied; and it is further

ORDERED, that the relief sought in the petition filed in In the Matter of Legislative Districting of the State, Misc. No. 24, September Term, 2021, with no exceptions having been filed, is denied; and it is further

ORDERED, that the Legislative Redistricting Plan of 2022 enacted as Senate Joint Resolution 2 on January 27, 2022 shall be used for all purposes in acting upon or implementing the State of Maryland's legislative redistricting plan; and it is further

ORDERED, that

(1) The 2022 Primary for Gubernatorial Elections, shall remain scheduled for July 19, 2022.

(2) The following election deadlines for the 2022 Primary for the Gubernatorial Elections shall remain as set forth in this Court's Order of March 15, 2022:

(a) The

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