Headquarters of the Presiding Officer (It is done...)
Unconditional Surrender Truman:
A Message from your Presiding Officer
Fellow Delegates,
The ball has dropped and a New Year is upon us! I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday season and am looking forward to working with all of you to complete the work of the Constitutional Convention in 2016.
Allow me to be blunt. As much as we accomplished in 2015 - and make no mistake, we have a number of significant accomplishments under our belts - there is a great deal left to be done in the coming months. First, we must complete work on the two Articles currently under construction on the convention floor: the Congress and the Regions. Both of these Articles are near completion, with only a few additions necessary before we wrap up debate. After talking with Deputy Presiding Officer Leinad, I have decided to set a soft deadline of January 15 for the completion of both of these Articles. This will give us ample time to answer any remaining questions surrounding our Regional and Congressional systems without too greatly cutting into the time we need to draft the remainder of the new Constitution.
Once these Articles have been completed, we will need to draft and agree to the structure of the remaining branches of the national government - the presidency and the Supreme Court - as well as complete the "miscellaneous" Articles of the Constitution (Bill of Rights, etc.). Once this has been done, we will move for a debate and vote on the final draft of the new Constitution.
None of this, of course, will be possible without the highest degree of activity and participation on your part, and I cannot stress enough the importance of timeliness to the success of the business at hand. We did not end 2015 on a good note in this regard. It has become troublingly common for delegates to propose questions for debate that have been long ago raised and voted on, almost as if they have no memory of the last four months. This inattentiveness has caused needless delays in the ongoing debates over Congress and the Regions, and while I will do everything in my power to spur this Convention to action, there is no substitute for your presence. I am confident that, with the holiday season concluded and the pressure of final exams behind us, we can count on more normal levels of activity going forward.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me - my inbox is always open. Here's to a happy and prosperous 2016!
Harry S Truman, Presiding Officer
Adam Griffin:
I've been notoriously absent during the past few weeks, I'll admit, but it's high-time for all of us to get back into high gear with the holidays over. Do we have a list of specific items that still need to be debated and adopted?
Unconditional Surrender Truman:
Quote from: President Griffin on January 03, 2016, 07:50:28 PM
I've been notoriously absent during the past few weeks, I'll admit, but it's high-time for all of us to get back into high gear with the holidays over. Do we have a list of specific items that still need to be debated and adopted?
Off the top of my head, this is what remains:
(0. Complete Articles on Congress and the Regions, finalize Regional powers)
1. The Executive Branch (Presidency, VP, etc.)
2. The Judiciary
3. Bill of Rights (I don't foresee much change in this area)
4. Rules on Simultaneous Officeholding (semi-presidentialism, etc.)
5. Citizenship/voting requirements
I can't think of anything that has been proposed and/or obviously needs to be addressed that doesn't fit under one of those categories.
Unconditional Surrender Truman:
ARTICLE I
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the Republic of Atlasia, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the Republic of Atlasia and of the Region in which they reside, and shall in all cases be afforded equal protection under the law.
Section 2. Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, nor of the press, nor withholding the freedom to peaceably assemble and to petition for the redress of grievances.
Section 3. Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, nor obstructing the freedom of worship.
Section 4. The right of citizens of the Republic of Atlasia to vote shall not be denied, except in regards to persons whose account is fewer than 168 hours old, or in consequence of failing to meet such requirements for activity as may be established by law.
Section 5. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
Section 6. Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crimes of which the accused has been duly convicted, shall exist within the Republic of Atlasia, nor in any place under its jurisdiction.
Section 7. A well-regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free people, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Section 8. No citizen shall be subjected to warrantless search or seizure of the persons, homes, records, or possessions, and no warrants shall be issued without probable cause, supported by oath of affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Section 9. No person accused of crimes under the laws of this Republic, or of the several Regions, shall be compelled to bear witness against himself, nor subjected to excessive bail, nor cruel or unusual punishment.
Section 10. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of their peers in the Region wherein the crime shall have been committed, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to have a compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel in his defense.
Section 11. No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the armed forces.
Section 12. In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the Republic of Atlasia.
Section 13. The enumeration of certain rights in this Constitution shall not be construed as to deny or disparage those natural rights and liberties herein unlisted.
ARTICLE II
Section 1 (The Regions)
i. The several states of this Republic shall be apportioned among three contiguous, autonomous Regions.
ii. The northern Region shall consist of the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Vermont.
iii. The southern Region shall consist of the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
iv. The western Region shall consist of the states of Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
v. Each Region shall have the sole authority to designate its title, and the titles of the officers of its government, such as they will be recognized by the Republic of Atlasia in all official acts and processes.
Section 2 (The Union)
i. No Region shall secede from this Republic but by a 3/4 vote of the citizens thereof, nor shall any Region, state, or other entity declare itself outside the jurisdiction of this Constitution so long as it remains party to this Union.
Section 3 (Rights and Limitations)
i. The powers not delegated to the Republic of Atlasia by this Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the Regions, are reserved to the Regions respectively, or to the people.
ii. No Region shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation without the express consent of the Congress.
iii. No Region shall pass any Bill of Attainder or ex post facto law, nor pass any act impairing the obligation of contracts.
iv. No Region shall lay any duty on exports and imports except by necessity for the proper enforcement of its laws, and then only with the express consent of the Congress; and in such case the net produce of such shall be conferred to the Federal Treasury.
v. No Region shall lay any duty of tonnage, nor grant any title of nobility, nor maintain armed forces in times of peace, nor issue, coin, or recognize as legal tender any currency but that of the Republic of Atlasia.
Unconditional Surrender Truman:
ARTICLE III
Section 1 (The Legislature)
i. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.
ii. The Vice President shall be the President of the Congress, but shall have no vote in the House of Representatives, nor in the Senate save when they be equally divided.
Section 2 (The Senate)
i. The Senate of the Republic of Atlasia shall consist of two Senators from each Region, elected for a term of four months in the manner prescribed by the legislature thereof.
ii. No person shall be a Senator who has not attained 200 or more posts, nor whose account is fewer than 1440 hours old, nor who is not a citizen of the Region they are chosen to represent.
iii. The Senate shall elect its leader and other officers, and shall have sole authority to determine its own methods of proceedings.
iv. Upon the seating of the first Congress, the Senators shall be divided into two classes of equal size, such that each class shall consist of one Senator from each of the Regions. Members of the first class shall be elected in the months of February, June, and October; members of the second class shall be elected in the months of April, August, and December.
v. The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. In all trials of impeachment, the Chief Justice shall preside, and no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of 2/3 of the sitting Senators.
vi. Vacancies in the Senate shall be filled according to the laws of the effected Region; but in the absence of such a law, the executive power thereof shall have the authority to appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the existing term.
Section 3 (The House of Representatives)
i. The House of Representatives shall consist of nine members chosen at-large by the eligible voters of the Republic according to a method of proportional representation prescribed by the Federal Legislature. Representatives shall serve a term of two months, and shall be elected in the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December.
ii. All elections for the House of Representatives shall be by single transferable vote, unless otherwise specified by law.
iii. No person shall be a Representative who has not attained 100 or more posts, nor whose account is fewer than 720 hours old, nor who is not a citizen of the Republic of Atlasia.
iv. The House of Representatives shall elect its Speaker and other officers, and shall have sole authority to determine its own methods of proceedings.
v. The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment.
vi. Vacancies in the House of Representatives shall be filled by the executive of the effected Party; but should a vacancy occur as the result of the death, expulsion, or resignation of a Representative not being a member of a major Party, then a special election shall be held to chose a replacement to serve the remainder of the existing term.
Section 4 (Rules of Order)
i. Each Houses may adopt rules concerning the discipline and expulsion of its members; but no Senator or Representative shall be expelled but with the concurrence of 2/3 of the members of the effected House.
ii. Each House shall be the judge of its own elections and of the qualifications of its members.
Section 5 (Legislation)
i. Legislation may originate in either house, and both houses shall reserve the right to propose and concur with amendments; but all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives.
ii. Whenever either house shall vote to pass a bill, order, or resolution that shall have originated in the other, having previously made amendment to the same, the President of the Congress shall immediately call the amended bill to a vote in the house in which it originated. If the original house should then vote to pass the amended bill, it shall proceed to the President; otherwise, the President of the Congress shall instruct the other house either to pass the bill as it stood prior to its amendment by that house, or else reject it entirely.
iii. Every bill, order, or resolution which shall have passed the Senate and the House of Representatives shall, before it becomes law, be submitted to the judgment of the President. If he approve of it he should sign it; but if he disapproves he should return the bill to the house in which it originated with his objections. If, after considering the objections of the President, both houses should by a 2/3 vote agree to pass the same bill, it shall become law regardless of the President's objections.
Section 6 (Powers)
i. The Congress shall have the power, except where limited elsewhere by this Constitution, to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, and to distribute the revenue thus collected;
to regulate foreign trade and inter-regional commerce;
to establish uniform laws of naturalization;
to regulate the value and coinage of the national currency;
to establish a uniform system of weights and measures;
to establish post offices and post roads;
to define and punish crimes committed on the high seas;
to declare war, issue letters of marque and reprisal, and make laws governing the capture of land and water;
to raise, support, and regulate the national armed forces;
to admit new states and territories to the Union;
to make laws governing borrowing, lending, and the selling of stocks and bonds;
to confirm or reject nominations for the Supreme Court and the officers of executive departments;
to establish a central national bank;
to make laws necessary for the enforcement of the Constitution and federal law; and
to regulate voter registration and federal elections.
Section 7 (Restrictions)
i. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, except when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.
ii. No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed.
iii. No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any Region.
iv. No money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in accordance with the apportionments made by law.
v. No title of nobility shall be granted by the Republic of Atlasia, and accordingly no person holding office under this Constitution shall accept any title, rank, or office from any foreign state except in accordance with federal law.
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