Maryland Governor Rescinds 72 Executive Orders

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Gov. Larry Hogan has rescinded 72 executive orders issued by previous governors that his administration says are outdated or superseded by legislation.

The Hogan administration said Tuesday about half of the orders deal with boards or commissions that haven't met for years.

The governor says rescinding the directives is part of an effort to modernize and streamline Maryland state government. He says there also are examples of executive orders that have expired or have been repealed by a previous administration but have not been removed from the Code of Maryland Regulations.

The Hogan administration says it's the largest repeal of governors' directives since 1995, when then-Gov. William Donald Schaefer removed 48 executive orders.

The oldest dates to 1970. It created the Science Advisory Council, which has not met since 1996.