[SENATOR] 48th Cosă, Third Clark. Discussion

[Magniloqueu Épiqeu da Lhiun]

HELLO Y'ALL, THIS IS EPIC. IS YOU GOOD? IS YOU? OK, 'CUZ I WANTED TO KNOW.

So, this month we have a busy Clark. Apologies for beginning the discussions so late!

The Clark can be viewed HEREUNDER.
My, my... let's begin!

RZ11: Automatic Vote Validation Amendment

Ballots may be cast via a secure online ballot with a voter receipt. These ballots need not be individually certified by the Commission if, prior to the election, the Commission has verified the reliability of the secure online ballot system and unanimously approved its use with a public vote.

Thoughts? I think this quite sensible, might speed up the GE-verification process. PER

RZ12: No more Inorganic Budgets Act

THEREFORE Lex.D.2.1.5, which currently reads

2.1.5. The Seneschal shall be required to submit to the Ziu, in time for consideration by the the second Clark of the Cosa, a government bill approved by the whole Cabinet which shall contain the following:
is amended to read

2.1.5. The Seneschal (or, if the Seneschal is not a Member of the Cosa, an MC designated by the Seneschal) shall be required to submit to the Ziu, in time for consideration by the second Clark of the Cosa, a government bill approved by the whole Cabinet which shall contain the following:

It is quite embarrassing that our budgets were basically illegal... ^^ PER


RZ13: Chronological Days of Observance Act
Makes the listing of the High and Holy Days chronological-per-day, as opposed to chronological-per-original-enactment. PER


RZ14: 3/4 Majority Amendment

THEREFORE Article XV: Amendments to the Organic Law is hereby repealed and replaced with the following:

Section 1

The Organic Law may be amended by the Ziu and the people in accordance with the provisions of this article.

Section 2
Amendments to the Organic Law may be proposed by two-thirds of the Cosa with approval of the Senäts. Approval of the Senäts shall be by simple majority, except that amendments to this article, amendments to the articles regarding election to and composition of the Senäts, and amendments to the article regarding territorial subdivisions require approval of two-thirds of the Senäts.

Section 3
The King shall assent to amendments proposed by the Cosa and Senäts unless he returns them with his objections within thirty days of their proposal, or within fifteen days in the case of amendments passed on the last Clark of a Cosa term. The King shall not refuse assent if the identical amendment is approved by three-quarters of the same Cosa with an absolute majority of the Senäts, or by two-thirds of the following Cosa with a simple majority of the Senäts.

Section 4
After approval by the Ziu in accordance with the preceding sections, a proposed amendment shall be submitted to the people in a referendum. If the King objected to the proposed amendment under the preceding section, a statement of his objections not exceeding one hundred and fifty words shall be provided to the people along with the proposed amendment. The King shall promulgate the amendment as part of this Organic Law if it is approved by a majority of voters participating in a referendum on the question of the amendment no later than during the next scheduled general election following the approval of the Ziu, except as provided in the following sections.

Section 5
Proposed changes to this Organic Law that affect the representation of a province in the Senäts, or of the territory or equal sovereignty of a province, shall not be promulgated unless approved by a majority of participating voters in that province.

Section 6
The Covenants of Rights and Freedoms, being sacred and necessary to the defence of our free society, are entrenched provisions of this Organic Law. No amendment to the Covenants shall be promulgated unless approved by a two-thirds majority of voters participating in the referendum on the question of the amendment.

FURTHERMORE, Section 11 of Article V of the Organic Law is hereby repealed, and the following sentence is added to Section 10 of Article V:

Bills creating new provinces or changing the number of provinces in any way require two-thirds of the Senäts.

Takes away the King's absolute veto powers, which undermine the people's authority by referendum, and makes the King's veto into a delaying veto. Which means that, eventually, the amendment will pass, if enough support is present in the next Cosă. ENTHUSIASTIC PER!


RZ15: Humans Helping Other Humans Act

THEREFORE Subsubsection D.2.6.3 is added to el Lexhatx, which reads:

D.2.6.3 The Bureau for Humanitarian Aid and International Development (The Bureau) shall serve as the hub for the Kingdom of Talossa's support for disaster and poverty relief and other forms of humanitarian assistance, emergency response and the promotion of efforts towards socioeconomic development.

D.2.6.3.1 The Bureau shall operate under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Bureau shall be administered by an Administrator to be appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs with the approval of the Seneschal.

D.2.6.3.1.1 The Bureau shall be funded by contributions from individuals, nonprofit organizations and where deemed appropriate by the Ziu, legislative appropriations.

D.2.6.3.1.2 With respect to legislative appropriations its funding should be determined as a component of an approved Budget covering expected expenditures for an entire government term, with additional expenditures approved by the Ziu. For the purposes of funding decisions, additional expenditures includes disbursements composed of monies derived from private individual and organizational contributions.

D.2.6.3.2 All funding decisions should follow an internal approval process consisting of an affirmative review by the Bureau’s Board of Governors to include the Administrator, the Minister of Foreign Affairs or a delegated official, two representatives of the Ziu (one from the Government and one from the Opposition) and a representative of the King.

D.2.6.3.2.1 If the internally approved funding decision allocates funds not included in current legislative appropriations then the proposal will be submitted as a standalone bill for consideration by the Ziu.

D.2.6.3.3 To ensure transparency and accountability, the Administrator or a delegated official shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of an agency website providing the total amount of funds at the Agency's disposal, a history of all agency funding decisions and information on the donation/appropriation process.

I am not sure about the future activity of this Bureau. Would this be useful? I am open to arguments either way. indecisive


RZ16 - I Pity the Phoole Act
YES, YES, YES. Poor Ann-Elizabeth "Jane" Shapera should be rescued from high waters, and welcomed into our Kingdom. PER with fanfares and cymbals!


Questions, comments, criticisms? You have this thread, PM, or my twitter: @epicdalhiun to contact me. Why hesitate? Write away, I don't bite!

[Ian Plätschisch]

The Bureau for Humanitarian Aid will be active so long as it is funded. I speak with some authority; we at MinFor have been actively working to expand Talossa's international standing and there is no reason we would not continue to do so if this Bureau is created.

I would like *again* to endorse the 3/4 amendment. A reading of the OrgLaw seems to indicate that the King acted Organically, and I would frankly be surprised if the Cort ruled otherwise. The only safe solution is a legislative solution.

I concur with everything I didn't bring up.

[Sir Alexandreu Davinescu]

I am very skeptical of initiatives that aren't important enough for people to be doing them, honestly. MinFin could create the Bureau and start doing this today, with no legislation or ossified offices, but they aren't. Let them do so, keep it up for a few months at least, and then let's make it permanent.

[Breneir Itravilatx]

Esteemed Senator, background work has actually already begun assuming passage of the Act to start the Bureau's activities immediately. Of course none of this is official until it is established but as the MinFin I can assure you that the worries as to its activity are of dubious origin.

We have already investigated potential organizations as far as proposed funding and are investigating methods of fundraising. Members of the Governing Board are prepared to take their roles.

[Magniloqueu Épiqeu da Lhiun]

Sept 6, 2015 13:52:54 GMT -6 Breneir Itravilatx said:

Esteemed Senator, background work has actually already begun assuming passage of the Act to start the Bureau's activities immediately. Of course none of this is official until it is established but as the MinFin I can assure you that the worries as to its activity are of dubious origin.

We have already investigated potential organizations as far as proposed funding and are investigating methods of fundraising. Members of the Governing Board are prepared to take their roles.

What does this “background work” comprise? Why can the activities not be started immediately, without the passing of legislature, under the authority of the Interior Ministry? And how does the Ministry of Finance itself come into all this?

Who are the members of this “Governing Board”, and what roles are there to be taken? Has there been any efforts to acquiring from the public those citizens interested in this kind of work?

[Magniloqueu Épiqeu da Lhiun]

I just want to update you that, as of now, I intend on voting PER on all but bill RZ15. I still have not made up my mind about RZ15, but right now, it is an abstention leaning towards a NON.

[Breneir Itravilatx]

Background work includes establishing a website, determining membership of the Board of Governors and compiling ideas and methods for fundraising. All background work is a function of preparation for the bill's passage. We wanted to be ready from Day 1 of the bill's passage. The website will be opened to the public on 1 October.

As far as "why can't this be done immediately?" the authors would like to see this organization started with multipartisan support demonstrated through legislative enactment rather than have it be an organization founded by dictate by one administration. This is intended to be a long-term organization that further activates Talossan humanitarians. I've noticed we had an affirmative vote from one RUMP MC and I am very pleased to see that as we may have support from four different parties before the end of this Clark. This firm statement of multipartisan support of the BHAID is incredibly important.

[Sir Alexandreu Davinescu]

After many years in Talossan government, I can say that it's a pretty good rule of thumb that unless people care enough about an initiative to really do it, it won't get done and will just be another flop we'll eventually either ignore or excise from the law. The Ministry could literally start this program today, without any additional legislation. They have full authorization. But it's not really important enough to do... not really.

I'm not saying I even oppose the initiative. I think it would be a great thing. I just don't think it will happen.

[Breneir Itravilatx]

We look forward to proving otherwise.

[Sir Alexandreu Davinescu]

The great thing is that you can prove me wrong even if the bill fails. Heck, I hope that's what happens!