Replacement Process For Maryland Delegates Under Review

A Maryland House committee will examine a bill today regarding how members of the General Assembly are replaced when they leave or are forced from office.

The measure, introduced by Dels. Aisha Braveboy of Prince George's County and Anthony O'Donnell of St. Mary's and Calvert County, is a response to the controversy surrounding the replacement of Prince George's County delegate Tiffany Alston, who was ousted after being found guity of misconduct last year.

The Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee nominated Greg Hall to fill out the rest of her term, but Gov. Martin O'Malley refused to install him because of Hall's part in a fatal shooting 20 years ago.

Hall's supporters argued he had turned his life around and was a role model to others trying to do the same after serving jail time. O'Malley felt voters should decide whether Hall was fit for office, and instead tapped former delegate Darren Swain to fill-out the rest of Alston's term.

The bill the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee will examine today would prohibit the governor from ignoring the nomination of a central committee as long as the nominee is not disqualified from holding public office. The crimes which Hall was convicted of did not disqualify him.