2022 Legislative Districting of the State

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF MARYLAND Misc. Nos. 21, 24, 25, 26 and 27 September Term, 2021 IN THE MATTER OF 2022 LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTING OF THE STATE Getty, C.J. Watts Hotten Booth Biran Gould McDonald, Robert N. (Senior Judge, Specially Assigned), JJ. ORDER Pursuant to Maryland Uniform Electronic Legal Materials Act Filed: April 13, 2022 (§§ 10-1601 et seq. of the State Government Article) this document is authentic. 2022-04-13 17:19-04:00 Suzanne C. Johnson, Clerk IN THE MATTER OF * IN THE 2022 LEGISLATIVE * COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICTING OF THE STATE * OF MARYLAND * MISC.

NOS. * 21, 24, 25, 26, 27 * SEPTEMBER TERM, 2021 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