Podcast: Assembly whiter, more masculine than Md. population

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By Natalie Neumann
Natalie@MarylandReporter.com

The 188 legislators at the State House represent more than 5.5 million citizens from across the Maryland, yet the makeup of the General Assembly doesn’t completely reflect the state’s population. It’s a lot older, whiter and more male than the state.

According to 2000 Census data, persons 60 and older compose about 15 percent of the state’s population. However, two and a half times that proportion of the legislature (38 percent) is 60 years old or older.

Women make up about 52 percent of the state, but only about 31 percent of the legislature. And African Americans make up about 29 percent of the state’s population and close to 23 percent of the legislature, according to data from a survey by the Department of Legislative Services.

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About The Author

Len Lazarick

len@marylandreporter.com

Len Lazarick was the founding editor and publisher of MarylandReporter.com and is currently the president of its nonprofit corporation and chairman of its board He was formerly the State House bureau chief of the daily Baltimore Examiner from its start in April 2006 to its demise in February 2009. He was a copy editor on the national desk of the Washington Post for eight years before that, and has spent decades covering Maryland politics and government.

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