Senate Procedure Resolution Concerning Multiple Issue Bills

[Peter]

As a simple point of order - this cannot be a piece of statute (remember that any future law simply overrides this law as a matter of course); Instead this should be a Senate Procedural Resolution concerning the introduction of bills by Senators.

Secondly, this bill is wide open to interpretation - what is "only one matter". Arguably under your definition, the following statute would not have been considered as one bill because the topics under discussion are very broad:

The Health Care Reform Act of 2004
National Energy Act
Family Planning Amendments Act of 2004

I like how this is really the anti-Miscellany Bill. If you want a section by section vote on the Miscellany Bill, why don't you just ask for one?

[Peter]

Just as a point, the bill could not have retroactive effect anyway, as that would be an Ex Posto Facto Law, which will in all likelihood be a power forbidden to the Senate in the Amendment. I was simply pointing out that had this procedure been in effect at the time those bills could not have been considered as one bill.

I still oppose this legislation, not only because I disagree with its purpose, but also because I think it is wide open to interpretation as to how narrow the definition of "only one matter" could become.

[Peter]

At 11:01:34 am EST this vote will have be open for one week as required by R. 1.

The vote presently stands at 4-5-0. The missing vote is that of Senator Harry.

I consider that whether this vote remains open beyond the one week time limit is an internal matter for the Senate, but I post this for its information.

[Peter]

Guess how many bills on the status thread are presently in violation of this SPR. I can count at least two and possibly as many as four.