L.C. 10.19 - Third Lincoln Constitution

[S019]

The Philadelphia Plan has become a scapegoat for problems in Lincoln, and a lot of the attacks around it are frankly dishonest. The system has worked well in the two years during which it has been in place. I also believe that the division of executive power between the Governor and the Chancellor is a good thing as it prevents any one individual from becoming too powerful. I also strongly oppose the idea of the governor being able to unilaterally veto any legislation. One person should not have a hard veto over the wishes of five, if we do in fact pass this, which I hope we don't, bringing back veto referendums to allow the people to decide on matters where the Governor and legislature agree would be wise. I am also strongly opposed to elections every 2 months, as regional legislatures often have new players, who may not be as skilled at GOTV operations, it is unfair to ask them to contact voters at such a frequent rate. I believe this is a solution in search of a problem, I urge this chamber to vote NAY as the only reasonable response.

(I have some individual objections to provisions too, so I will be making later arguments and objections too, consider this basically an introduction to a persuasive speech)

[S019]

Amendment:

2. The Chamber shall consist of five members, except when there are 9 nine or more candidates on the ballot in a regular election, in which case it shall be 7 seven, chosen every second third month by the eligible voters of Lincoln, according to a method of proportional representation prescribed by law.
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4. Elections for governor shall be held in the months of April, August, and December. Elections for the Chamber shall be held in the months of FebruaryJanuary, April, June July, August, and October, and December.

This fixes one of Truman's things (I'm going to let some debate happen on the chamber name before I offer anything there), and moves the Legislative Elections back to a three month interval.

Hopefully this can be done without a vote.

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I also believe that the division of executive power between the Governor and the Chancellor is a good thing as it prevents any one individual from becoming too powerful.

The division between the Governor and Chancellor is one of the key problems with the Philadelphia plan, and to not end it would be to defeat the whole point of its repeal. It adds unneeded confusion and bureaucracy for little gain. Having to have 3 people (Governor, Chancellor, Speaker) constantly active to keep the government functioning is difficult. While we did eliminate the "Chancellor can't be Speaker" rule recently, in the immediate wake of it no one really wants to take advantage of that elimination, so not like it really solved anything, and it doesn't even try to solve the complicated thorny situation of what the Governor is supposed to do and what the Chancellor is supposed to do in areas like executive orders.


Point taken but we're on opposite sides here

bringing back veto referendums to allow the people to decide on matters where the Governor and legislature agree would be wise.

First off I assume you meant to use a disagree here? In any case, I'm not necessarily opposed to it, but I understand the arguments against it (can force people to the polls too frequently, turns the governor into something of a figurehead, etc), and in deference to the will of the governor, I will not change it. I will note that the document retains the 2/3 veto override like we currently have, and the governor is not allowed to use the redraft provision if 2/3's support exists, so your assertion that one person can override five is incorrect - if the chamber is 4-1 or unanimous (or in a 7 member chamber: 5-2, 6-1, or unanimous), the governor's view is immaterial because he can be overridden.

The redraft provision needs to change substantially. The redraft was not added so that the governor could rewrite bills that they did not like. It was added so the governor could tweak either really bad bills into nothingness or so that they could make changes to legislation in the case of an oversight. If a bill that needs minor tweaks passed 5-0 why should the redraft not be used, and honestly this discussion brings us back to why the hard veto should be eliminated. Under the current writing, under such a scenario, the governor needs to either sign a bill with issues or hard veto a bill that is mostly fine, expanding the redraft to what its original purpose was and reimplementing the soft veto fixes this issue.

[S019]

General Court is good.

Also bimonthly elections are fine. Nothing wrong with that. The 3-leg 4-gov system would become very annoying very quickly under presidentialism. Was bad enough before.

Then just make it four month terms for everything? I don't see the need for two month terms. Longer terms allow for legislators to be more productive and get more done.

[S019]

Anyways as promised here's the redraft fix, also establishes referendums for bills that were redrafted, but then the redraft was rejected, but still passed by a large margin.

A. The Lincoln Council is hereby renamed to the Lincoln Chamber of Deputies, and notwithstanding anything else in this amendment, the Councillors (who shall now be known as Deputies), along with the incumbent governor, shall serve as acting officials in their respective offices under this new constitution until the next applicable election. The Chamber of Deputies first order of business will be writing a new SOAP.

B. If any existing Lincoln laws conflict with this amendment, they are hereby amended such that they comply/agree with the amendment, with full severability if a provision would need to be removed.

C. The Lincoln Constitution is hereby amended to read as follows:

Third Lincoln Constitution

Preamble
We, the people of the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the Virgin Islands, acting in accordance with the great precept that all men and women are created equal, and for the purpose of preserving the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for Lincoln.
Bill of Rights
1. All persons born or naturalized in the Republic of Atlasia and being residents of one of the states of this region, are citizens of Lincoln, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of the same. No citizen shall be denied equal protection under the law.
2. The Chamber of Deputies shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, nor of the press, nor the right to assemble and petition for the redress of grievances.
3. The Chamber shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, nor obstructing the freedom of worship.
4. Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, shall exist within this region, or in any territories under its jurisdiction.
5. A well-regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of citizens to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
6. In all suits of criminal law, the accused shall have right to a free and fair trial by an impartial jury of their peers.
7. No person accused of any crime under the laws of this region shall be subjected to warrantless search or seizure of their homes, persons, records, or possessions; nor excessive bail; nor cruel or unusual punishment; nor compelled to bear witness against herself; nor denied right to legal counsel.
8. The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, save when in times of war or rebellion the public safety may require it.
9. The enumeration of certain rights in this Constitution shall not be construed as to deny those natural and inherent rights herein unlisted.
(Copy of Fremont, cutting the collective bargaining section)
Article I: The Legislative power
1. All legislative powers granted herein shall be vested in an Chamber.
2. The Chamber shall consist of five members, except when there are 9 or more candidates on the ballot in a regular election, in which case it shall be 7, chosen every second month by the eligible voters of Lincoln, according to a method of proportional representation prescribed by law.
3. No person shall be a member of the Chamber who is not a citizen of this region, and no person shall remain a member who is found by a vote of three-fourths of their peers to be guilty of gross negligence, high crimes, or misdemeanors.
4. The Chamber shall elect its speaker and other officers and shall have sole authority to determine its own methods of proceedings.
5. Every bill passed by the Chamber shall, before it becomes law, be submitted to the judgment of the governor. If they approve of it, they should sign it and it will become law; but if they disapprove they may veto it, and it shall be returned to the Chamber. If, after considering the objections of the governor, the Chamber should by a two-thirds vote agree to pass the same bill, it shall become law regardless of the governor's objections. If the governor shall not act to sign or veto a bill, it shall become law seven (7) days after its adoption by the Chamber. The Governor shall have the authority to submit revisions to passed legislation if it has less than two thirds support of the chamber, if they deem fit, and return it to the legislature for reconsideration. If the redrafted bill is rejected by the chamber, and the original bill passed the chamber by a greater than two-thirds margin in the Chamber, the original bill shall be sent to referendum.
6. Whenever a vacancy should occur in the composition of the Chamber, the governor shall appoint a replacement. Should the vacancy have occurred fewer than 336 hours before the next general election, the member thus nominated shall serve the remainder of the existing term; otherwise, they shall serve only until a new member may be elected.
7. The Chamber may, by a four-fifths vote, impeach and remove the governor for gross negligence or criminal acts; but the governor shall not be convicted without the concurrence of four-fifths of the members present, and the penalty for his conviction shall not exceed removal from office and disbarment from holding any office under this region for eighteen months.
8. In the event of a tied vote of the Chamber, the governor shall have the power to break the tie.

Article II: The Executive Power
1. The powers and duties of the executive shall be vested in the governor of Lincoln
2. The governor shall be elected every fourth month by the entire body of eligible voters. No person shall be governor who is not a citizen of Lincoln, and no elected governor shall be a member of the Chamber.
3. The governor shall have the power to carry out all acts in association with the enforcement of the laws passed under this constitution; to command the militia in times of war; to appoint the heads of such departments which may be established by law; to issue pardons and reprieves for crimes committed under the laws of this region, which shall be permanent upon their issuance, though they shall have no power to pardon themselves; to appoint, in accordance with Article V of the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, the associate justice of the circuit court of this region; and to approve, or veto, all acts passed by the Chamber.
4. Should the governor vacate their office either by their death, removal, forfeiture, or resignation, then the speaker of the Chamber, or if there be no speaker the member with the longest continuous service, shall act as governor until a successor may be elected. The acting governor need not vacate their seat in the Chamber, but they shall have no vote in its proceedings so long as they continue to exercise the powers of the governor. If there is neither a speaker nor any members of the Chamber, then the powers and duties of the governor shall devolve upon the associate justice of the circuit court, or if there be none such officer as the president of Atlasia may appoint from among the citizens of Lincoln, until a successor may be elected.
Article III: Senators
1. Elections for the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia shall be conducted at regular intervals, in the months prescribed by the Constitution thereof.
2. Senators shall be elected by a direct vote of the people, and no person eligible to vote in elections for governor and Council shall be denied the right to vote for Senator.
3. Should a vacancy occur in the representation of this Region in the Senate, the governor shall appoint an interim senator to serve until a replacement may be elected. Special elections for the Senate shall begin on the Friday following the creation of the vacancy; but if the vacancy shall occur on a Thursday, the special election shall begin on the second Friday following the creation of the vacancy.
4. Senators who are elected in a regularly scheduled election shall take office on the first day of the next session of Congress. Senators elected in a special election shall take office immediately upon election.
Article IV: Elections
1. The right to vote in all elections and referendums called according to the provisions of this Constitution shall be exclusive to those persons being eligible to vote in elections for President of the Republic of Atlasia who have been registered to vote in one of the states of this Region for a period of at least 72 hours prior to the commencement of the election. The Chamber shall have the right to pass further residency requirements through legislation.
2. Voters shall be permitted to edit their ballots until 20 minutes after posting them in the voting booth. No voter shall edit their ballot after the official end of the voting period.
3. All elections and referendums of this region shall be administered by the governor. Whenever the governor should be unable to perform this duty, the speaker of the Chamber, or in their absence the most senior member, shall administer the election.
4. Elections for governor shall be held in the months of April, August, and December. Elections for the Chamber shall be held in the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December.
5. Candidates for governor, Chamber, and federal Senate must declare their candidacy in the appropriate thread by 2:00:00 PM, Eastern Time, on the Thursday preceding the election in order to appear on the ballot.
6. Except in the month of December, elections for governor, Chamber, and federal Senate shall begin on the penultimate Friday of the given month. In December, all elections shall begin on the second Friday of the month. Special Elections are scheduled by the Governor at any date that they deem fit. In all cases, voting shall begin at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Time, on the appointed day and continue for 72 hours hence.
7. Following the expiration of the voting period, the election administrator shall have 24 hours to produce a tally of the votes cast and to announce the persons elected.
8. All elections shall be by single transferable vote, unless otherwise specified by law.
9. The terms of the Governor and Chamber  shall begin at 12:00:00 Eastern Time on the first Wednesday following their election. Prior to assuming office, the governor and members shall swear the following oath or equivalent: “I, [A.B.], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of [state office name] and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the constitutions of Lincoln and the Republic of Atlasia.” Any person elected to office under this constitution who shall fail to swear or affirm the aforesaid within 72 hours of the constitutional commencement of their term, shall forfeit their office.
10. All referendums on proposed amendments to this constitution and to the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia shall begin on the first Friday following their passage by the appropriate body; but if the passage shall occur on a Thursday, the referendum shall begin on the second Friday following passage. The appropriate election administrator shall open the voting booth at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Time. Voting shall continue for 72 hours, and no vote cast more than 72 hours after the voting booth was opened shall be considered valid.
11. In all referendums, a “YES” vote shall be considered a vote in favor of passing the referendum and a “NO” vote shall be considered a vote against passing the referendum. Abstentions shall not affect the results of the referendum. In all cases, a simple majority of those voting “YES” or “NO” shall be required to pass the referendum.
Article V: Amendments
1. The Chamber shall have the power to propose amendments to this constitution by a two-thirds vote.
2. Lincoln shall ratify amendments to the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia by public referendum.

Occupying: Government Slot 7 of 12
Sponsor: Speaker Dwarven Dragon
[/quote]

[S019]

snip

So, uh, what happens if the original bill passed by less than 2/3, gets redrafted, but the legislature rejects the redraft? From the text you drafted, the bill would seem to go into some sort of limbo where no one can take any action...

I assumed that would be a hard veto, since that's what this bill creates?

[S019]

So, I'm going to be looking through this bit by bit, but for now proposed an amendment dealing with the religion plank in the bill of rights given a couple months back (actually over a year ago now) we nearly passed a bill that would've essentially endorsed religion in schools, also in case 5 candidates don't run, I added a provision that still allows elections to continue. Also if my previous amendment is adopted, consider the language from that one to be inserted into this one (given it's proposed after the first one)

A. The Lincoln Council is hereby renamed to the Lincoln Chamber of Deputies, and notwithstanding anything else in this amendment, the Councillors (who shall now be known as Deputies), along with the incumbent governor, shall serve as acting officials in their respective offices under this new constitution until the next applicable election. The Chamber of Deputies first order of business will be writing a new SOAP.

B. If any existing Lincoln laws conflict with this amendment, they are hereby amended such that they comply/agree with the amendment, with full severability if a provision would need to be removed.

C. The Lincoln Constitution is hereby amended to read as follows:

Third Lincoln Constitution

Preamble
We, the people of the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the Virgin Islands, acting in accordance with the great precept that all men and women are created equal, and for the purpose of preserving the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for Lincoln.
Bill of Rights
1. All persons born or naturalized in the Republic of Atlasia and being residents of one of the states of this region, are citizens of Lincoln, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of the same. No citizen shall be denied equal protection under the law.
2. The Chamber of Deputies shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, nor of the press, nor the right to assemble and petition for the redress of grievances.
3. The Chamber shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, nor obstructing the freedom of worship. No government organization shall sponsor religion in any way.
4. Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, shall exist within this region, or in any territories under its jurisdiction.
5. A well-regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of citizens to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
6. In all suits of criminal law, the accused shall have right to a free and fair trial by an impartial jury of their peers.
7. No person accused of any crime under the laws of this region shall be subjected to warrantless search or seizure of their homes, persons, records, or possessions; nor excessive bail; nor cruel or unusual punishment; nor compelled to bear witness against herself; nor denied right to legal counsel.
8. The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, save when in times of war or rebellion the public safety may require it.
9. The enumeration of certain rights in this Constitution shall not be construed as to deny those natural and inherent rights herein unlisted.
(Copy of Fremont, cutting the collective bargaining section)
Article I: The Legislative power
1. All legislative powers granted herein shall be vested in an Chamber.
2. The Chamber shall consist of five members, except when there are 9 or more candidates on the ballot in a regular election, in which case it shall be 7, or if there are less than 5 candidates running, in which case the number of candidates shall be one less than those contesting the election chosen every second month by the eligible voters of Lincoln, according to a method of proportional representation prescribed by law.
3. No person shall be a member of the Chamber who is not a citizen of this region, and no person shall remain a member who is found by a vote of three-fourths of their peers to be guilty of gross negligence, high crimes, or misdemeanors.
4. The Chamber shall elect its speaker and other officers and shall have sole authority to determine its own methods of proceedings.
5. Every bill passed by the Chamber shall, before it becomes law, be submitted to the judgment of the governor. If they approve of it, they should sign it and it will become law; but if they disapprove they may veto it, and it shall be returned to the Chamber. If, after considering the objections of the governor, the Chamber should by a two-thirds vote agree to pass the same bill, it shall become law regardless of the governor's objections. If the governor shall not act to sign or veto a bill, it shall become law seven (7) days after its adoption by the Chamber. The Governor shall have the authority to submit revisions to passed legislation if it has less than two thirds support of the chamber, if they deem fit, and return it to the legislature for reconsideration.
6. Whenever a vacancy should occur in the composition of the Chamber, the governor shall appoint a replacement. Should the vacancy have occurred fewer than 336 hours before the next general election, the member thus nominated shall serve the remainder of the existing term; otherwise, they shall serve only until a new member may be elected.
7. The Chamber may, by a four-fifths vote, impeach and remove the governor for gross negligence or criminal acts; but the governor shall not be convicted without the concurrence of four-fifths of the members present, and the penalty for his conviction shall not exceed removal from office and disbarment from holding any office under this region for eighteen months.
8. In the event of a tied vote of the Chamber, the governor shall have the power to break the tie.

Article II: The Executive Power
1. The powers and duties of the executive shall be vested in the governor of Lincoln
2. The governor shall be elected every fourth month by the entire body of eligible voters. No person shall be governor who is not a citizen of Lincoln, and no elected governor shall be a member of the Chamber.
3. The governor shall have the power to carry out all acts in association with the enforcement of the laws passed under this constitution; to command the militia in times of war; to appoint the heads of such departments which may be established by law; to issue pardons and reprieves for crimes committed under the laws of this region, which shall be permanent upon their issuance, though they shall have no power to pardon themselves; to appoint, in accordance with Article V of the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, the associate justice of the circuit court of this region; and to approve, or veto, all acts passed by the Chamber.
4. Should the governor vacate their office either by their death, removal, forfeiture, or resignation, then the speaker of the Chamber, or if there be no speaker the member with the longest continuous service, shall act as governor until a successor may be elected. The acting governor need not vacate their seat in the Chamber, but they shall have no vote in its proceedings so long as they continue to exercise the powers of the governor. If there is neither a speaker nor any members of the Chamber, then the powers and duties of the governor shall devolve upon the associate justice of the circuit court, or if there be none such officer as the president of Atlasia may appoint from among the citizens of Lincoln, until a successor may be elected.
Article III: Senators
1. Elections for the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia shall be conducted at regular intervals, in the months prescribed by the Constitution thereof.
2. Senators shall be elected by a direct vote of the people, and no person eligible to vote in elections for governor and Council shall be denied the right to vote for Senator.
3. Should a vacancy occur in the representation of this Region in the Senate, the governor shall appoint an interim senator to serve until a replacement may be elected. Special elections for the Senate shall begin on the Friday following the creation of the vacancy; but if the vacancy shall occur on a Thursday, the special election shall begin on the second Friday following the creation of the vacancy.
4. Senators who are elected in a regularly scheduled election shall take office on the first day of the next session of Congress. Senators elected in a special election shall take office immediately upon election.
Article IV: Elections
1. The right to vote in all elections and referendums called according to the provisions of this Constitution shall be exclusive to those persons being eligible to vote in elections for President of the Republic of Atlasia who have been registered to vote in one of the states of this Region for a period of at least 72 hours prior to the commencement of the election. The Chamber shall have the right to pass further residency requirements through legislation.
2. Voters shall be permitted to edit their ballots until 20 minutes after posting them in the voting booth. No voter shall edit their ballot after the official end of the voting period.
3. All elections and referendums of this region shall be administered by the governor. Whenever the governor should be unable to perform this duty, the speaker of the Chamber, or in their absence the most senior member, shall administer the election.
4. Elections for governor shall be held in the months of April, August, and December. Elections for the Chamber shall be held in the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December.
5. Candidates for governor, Chamber, and federal Senate must declare their candidacy in the appropriate thread by 2:00:00 PM, Eastern Time, on the Thursday preceding the election in order to appear on the ballot.
6. Except in the month of December, elections for governor, Chamber, and federal Senate shall begin on the penultimate Friday of the given month. In December, all elections shall begin on the second Friday of the month. Special Elections are scheduled by the Governor at any date that they deem fit. In all cases, voting shall begin at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Time, on the appointed day and continue for 72 hours hence.
7. Following the expiration of the voting period, the election administrator shall have 24 hours to produce a tally of the votes cast and to announce the persons elected.
8. All elections shall be by single transferable vote, unless otherwise specified by law.
9. The terms of the Governor and Chamber  shall begin at 12:00:00 Eastern Time on the first Wednesday following their election. Prior to assuming office, the governor and members shall swear the following oath or equivalent: “I, [A.B.], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of [state office name] and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the constitutions of Lincoln and the Republic of Atlasia.” Any person elected to office under this constitution who shall fail to swear or affirm the aforesaid within 72 hours of the constitutional commencement of their term, shall forfeit their office.
10. All referendums on proposed amendments to this constitution and to the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia shall begin on the first Friday following their passage by the appropriate body; but if the passage shall occur on a Thursday, the referendum shall begin on the second Friday following passage. The appropriate election administrator shall open the voting booth at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Time. Voting shall continue for 72 hours, and no vote cast more than 72 hours after the voting booth was opened shall be considered valid.
11. In all referendums, a “YES” vote shall be considered a vote in favor of passing the referendum and a “NO” vote shall be considered a vote against passing the referendum. Abstentions shall not affect the results of the referendum. In all cases, a simple majority of those voting “YES” or “NO” shall be required to pass the referendum.
Article V: Amendments
1. The Chamber shall have the power to propose amendments to this constitution by a two-thirds vote.
2. Lincoln shall ratify amendments to the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia by public referendum.

Occupying: Government Slot 7 of 12
Sponsor: Speaker Dwarven Dragon
[/quote]

[S019]

snip

So, uh, what happens if the original bill passed by less than 2/3, gets redrafted, but the legislature rejects the redraft? From the text you drafted, the bill would seem to go into some sort of limbo where no one can take any action...

I assumed that would be a hard veto, since that's what this bill creates?

Hmmm, perhaps, but the text doesn't explicitly say that the redraft is equivalent to a veto. We just had a case a few short weeks ago where the Governor proposed a redraft, and then after the Chamber rejected it, signed the original, so it's not even true that a governor redrafting would veto in all cases. While such instances may be rare, it's important we iron them out, lest this become the next lawsuit from Tack50.

Additionally your text appears to require an even greater standard than the veto override - the veto override is two thirds, while this is greater than two thirds....

Here's a version of your text I would accept, if you'd be willing to offer this instead:

If the redrafted bill is rejected by the chamber, and the original bill passed the chamber by a greater than two-thirds margin in the Chamber, the original bill shall be sent to referendum. If the redrafted bill is rejected by the Chamber, and the original bill passed by less than two-thirds, the Governor shall be compelled to sign or veto the original bill.

Returning the redraft to the Governor for their decision is in fact what the current constitution does.

sure that works, also consider this before the new amendment that I just posted.

Also while reading through it I found that this just says "elections shall occur by a form of proportional representation," it clarifies later actually, but this is confusing and should be fixed.

[S019]

I object to the amendment making legislative elections every three months instead of two. I would rather have them coincide with federal elections so that turnout is higher.

In that case why not do four months, as I suggested above? But I see some value to keeping off-year elections, this is at its core an elections game, and off year elections give people something to do in what would otherwise be a quite dull month. I'm fine with either three or four honestly, two is too short.

[S019]

If my amendment did pass, would the language regarding the amount of candidates supersede the language in your amendment?

[S019]

AYE

[S019]

One last amendment to the beginning parts, then I'll start looking at the main body, so to speak

A. The Lincoln Council is hereby renamed to the Lincoln Chamber of Deputies, and notwithstanding anything else in this amendment, the Councillors (who shall now be known as Deputies), along with the incumbent governor, shall serve as acting officials in their respective offices under this new constitution until the next applicable election. The Chamber of Deputies first order of business will be writing a new SOAP.

B. If any existing Lincoln laws conflict with this amendment, they are hereby amended such that they comply/agree with the amendment, with full severability if a provision would need to be removed.

C. The Lincoln Constitution is hereby amended to read as follows:

Third Lincoln Constitution

Preamble
We, the people of the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the Virgin Islands, acting in accordance with the great precept that all men and women are created equal, and for the purpose of preserving the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for Lincoln.
Bill of Rights
1. All persons born or naturalized in the Republic of Atlasia and being residents of one of the states of this region, are citizens of Lincoln, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of the same. No citizen shall be denied equal protection under the law.
2. The Chamber of Deputies shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, nor of the press, nor the right to assemble and petition for the redress of grievances.
3. The Chamber shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, nor obstructing the freedom of worship.
4. Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, shall exist within this region, or in any territories under its jurisdiction.
5. A well-regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of citizens to keep and bear non-military grade arms within reason shall not be completely infringed. No part of this clause shall be interpreted as precluding the Lincoln Chamber from passing gun control measures or other restrictions on gun ownership.
6. In all suits of criminal law, the accused shall have right to a free and fair trial by an impartial jury of their peers.
7. No person accused of any crime under the laws of this region shall be subjected to warrantless search or seizure of their homes, persons, records, or possessions; nor excessive bail; nor cruel or unusual punishment; nor compelled to bear witness against herself; nor denied right to legal counsel.
8. The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, save when in times of war or rebellion the public safety may require it.
9. The enumeration of certain rights in this Constitution shall not be construed as to deny those natural and inherent rights herein unlisted.
(Copy of Fremont, cutting the collective bargaining section)
Article I: The Legislative power
1. All legislative powers granted herein shall be vested in an Chamber.
2. The Chamber shall consist of five members, except when there are 9 or more candidates on the ballot in a regular election, in which case it shall be 7, chosen every second month by the eligible voters of Lincoln, according to a method of proportional representation prescribed by law.
3. No person shall be a member of the Chamber who is not a citizen of this region, and no person shall remain a member who is found by a vote of three-fourths of their peers to be guilty of gross negligence, high crimes, or misdemeanors.
4. The Chamber shall elect its speaker and other officers and shall have sole authority to determine its own methods of proceedings.
5. Every bill passed by the Chamber shall, before it becomes law, be submitted to the judgment of the governor. If they approve of it, they should sign it and it will become law; but if they disapprove they may veto it, and it shall be returned to the Chamber. If, after considering the objections of the governor, the Chamber should by a two-thirds vote agree to pass the same bill, it shall become law regardless of the governor's objections. If the governor shall not act to sign or veto a bill, it shall become law seven (7) days after its adoption by the Chamber. The Governor shall have the authority to submit revisions to passed legislation if it has less than two thirds support of the chamber, if they deem fit, and return it to the legislature for reconsideration.
6. Whenever a vacancy should occur in the composition of the Chamber, the governor shall appoint a replacement. Should the vacancy have occurred fewer than 336 hours before the next general election, the member thus nominated shall serve the remainder of the existing term; otherwise, they shall serve only until a new member may be elected.
7. The Chamber may, by a four-fifths vote, impeach and remove the governor for gross negligence or criminal acts; but the governor shall not be convicted without the concurrence of four-fifths of the members present, and the penalty for his conviction shall not exceed removal from office and disbarment from holding any office under this region for eighteen months.
8. In the event of a tied vote of the Chamber, the governor shall have the power to break the tie.

Article II: The Executive Power
1. The powers and duties of the executive shall be vested in the governor of Lincoln
2. The governor shall be elected every fourth month by the entire body of eligible voters. No person shall be governor who is not a citizen of Lincoln, and no elected governor shall be a member of the Chamber.
3. The governor shall have the power to carry out all acts in association with the enforcement of the laws passed under this constitution; to command the militia in times of war; to appoint the heads of such departments which may be established by law; to issue pardons and reprieves for crimes committed under the laws of this region, which shall be permanent upon their issuance, though they shall have no power to pardon themselves; to appoint, in accordance with Article V of the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, the associate justice of the circuit court of this region; and to approve, or veto, all acts passed by the Chamber.
4. Should the governor vacate their office either by their death, removal, forfeiture, or resignation, then the speaker of the Chamber, or if there be no speaker the member with the longest continuous service, shall act as governor until a successor may be elected. The acting governor need not vacate their seat in the Chamber, but they shall have no vote in its proceedings so long as they continue to exercise the powers of the governor. If there is neither a speaker nor any members of the Chamber, then the powers and duties of the governor shall devolve upon the associate justice of the circuit court, or if there be none such officer as the president of Atlasia may appoint from among the citizens of Lincoln, until a successor may be elected.
Article III: Senators
1. Elections for the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia shall be conducted at regular intervals, in the months prescribed by the Constitution thereof.
2. Senators shall be elected by a direct vote of the people, and no person eligible to vote in elections for governor and Council shall be denied the right to vote for Senator.
3. Should a vacancy occur in the representation of this Region in the Senate, the governor shall appoint an interim senator to serve until a replacement may be elected. Special elections for the Senate shall begin on the Friday following the creation of the vacancy; but if the vacancy shall occur on a Thursday, the special election shall begin on the second Friday following the creation of the vacancy.
4. Senators who are elected in a regularly scheduled election shall take office on the first day of the next session of Congress. Senators elected in a special election shall take office immediately upon election.
Article IV: Elections
1. The right to vote in all elections and referendums called according to the provisions of this Constitution shall be exclusive to those persons being eligible to vote in elections for President of the Republic of Atlasia who have been registered to vote in one of the states of this Region for a period of at least 72 hours prior to the commencement of the election. The Chamber shall have the right to pass further residency requirements through legislation.
2. Voters shall be permitted to edit their ballots until 20 minutes after posting them in the voting booth. No voter shall edit their ballot after the official end of the voting period.
3. All elections and referendums of this region shall be administered by the governor. Whenever the governor should be unable to perform this duty, the speaker of the Chamber, or in their absence the most senior member, shall administer the election.
4. Elections for governor shall be held in the months of April, August, and December. Elections for the Chamber shall be held in the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December.
5. Candidates for governor, Chamber, and federal Senate must declare their candidacy in the appropriate thread by 2:00:00 PM, Eastern Time, on the Thursday preceding the election in order to appear on the ballot.
6. Except in the month of December, elections for governor, Chamber, and federal Senate shall begin on the penultimate Friday of the given month. In December, all elections shall begin on the second Friday of the month. Special Elections are scheduled by the Governor at any date that they deem fit. In all cases, voting shall begin at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Time, on the appointed day and continue for 72 hours hence.
7. Following the expiration of the voting period, the election administrator shall have 24 hours to produce a tally of the votes cast and to announce the persons elected.
8. All elections shall be by single transferable vote, unless otherwise specified by law.
9. The terms of the Governor and Chamber  shall begin at 12:00:00 Eastern Time on the first Wednesday following their election. Prior to assuming office, the governor and members shall swear the following oath or equivalent: “I, [A.B.], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of [state office name] and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the constitutions of Lincoln and the Republic of Atlasia.” Any person elected to office under this constitution who shall fail to swear or affirm the aforesaid within 72 hours of the constitutional commencement of their term, shall forfeit their office.
10. All referendums on proposed amendments to this constitution and to the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia shall begin on the first Friday following their passage by the appropriate body; but if the passage shall occur on a Thursday, the referendum shall begin on the second Friday following passage. The appropriate election administrator shall open the voting booth at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Time. Voting shall continue for 72 hours, and no vote cast more than 72 hours after the voting booth was opened shall be considered valid.
11. In all referendums, a “YES” vote shall be considered a vote in favor of passing the referendum and a “NO” vote shall be considered a vote against passing the referendum. Abstentions shall not affect the results of the referendum. In all cases, a simple majority of those voting “YES” or “NO” shall be required to pass the referendum.
Article V: Amendments
1. The Chamber shall have the power to propose amendments to this constitution by a two-thirds vote.
2. Lincoln shall ratify amendments to the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia by public referendum.

Occupying: Government Slot 7 of 12
Sponsor: Speaker Dwarven Dragon
[/quote]

[S019]

While I agree with the sentiment of what is being proposed, I am concerned it could become a poison pill at the ballot box. Therefore I must oppose the amendment.

I'll start a vote once the current vote has concluded.

This is a common sense amendment, the ''''right'''' to bear arms has never been absolute and never should be. If some conservatives follow the perverted notion that it allows you to own military grade weapons, which has only been pushed by rabid NRA pawns, I don't view that as an issue. The left and center has enough votes in Lincoln to pass this anyways.

[S019]

Also this amendment would protect our AWB from malignant attempts by future councils to repeal it, which would lead to a surge in mass shootings, I believe supporting this amendment is the only reasonable course of action.

In fact, this whole conversation reminds me of a conversation on Discord where someone rightly pointed out IRL American laws are way to lax and people promptly noted that results from the absurd idea that the right to own a killer weapon is legal. Such an idea is absurd in basically any other developed country.

Also I fail to see why this so controversial, all it does is make clear that the Council has the right to regulate gun ownership, protecting people from mass shootings shouldn't be controversial.

[S019]

Also this amendment would protect our AWB from malignant attempts by future councils to repeal it, which would lead to a surge in mass shootings, I believe supporting this amendment is the only reasonable course of action.

In fact, this whole conversation reminds me of a conversation on Discord where someone rightly pointed out IRL American laws are way to lax and people promptly noted that results from the absurd idea that the right to own a killer weapon is legal. Such an idea is absurd in basically any other developed country.

Also I fail to see why this so controversial, all it does is make clear that the Council has the right to regulate gun ownership, protecting people from mass shootings shouldn't be controversial.

This is hard for me because I totally would support you if this was a straight vote on guns. But I have to consider the larger proposal at hand. Given that Labor support for a new constitution may not be near unanimous, some centrist/conservative support is needed. Therefore a reconfiguring of the Atlasian equivalent of the second amendment shall have to wait for another day. Ensuring the new constitution has the votes to pass, here and at referendum, is more important.

Would you be open to leaving the first line as is, and just adding the second line?

[S019]

Ballot:

2. The Chamber shall consist of five members, except when there are nine or more candidates on the ballot in a regular election, in which case it shall be seven, or if there are less than five candidates running, in which case the number of candidates shall be one less than those contesting the election chosen every second month by the eligible voters of Lincoln, according to a method of proportional representation prescribed by law.

[ X ] Aye
[ ] No
[ ] Abstain

5. A well-regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of citizens to keep and bear non-military grade arms within reason shall not be completely infringed. No part of this clause shall be interpreted as precluding the Lincoln Chamber from passing gun control measures or other restrictions on gun ownership.

[ X ] Aye
[ ] No
[ ] Abstain





[/quote]

[S019]

Wait why the four month legislature? That’s longer than a House term!

Longer terms allow for the session to be more productive

[S019]

Wait why the four month legislature? That’s longer than a House term!

Longer terms allow for the session to be more productive

That makes no sense whatsoever.

It allows for the legislature to get more done in a session, and no region has 2 month terms anyways, so are Fremont and the South wrong for having longer terms than the House?

[S019]

The amendment raising it to 4 passed the Council, the term length should be a settled issue. But yes, it's very clear it's either 3 or 4.

[S019]

Wait why the four month legislature? That’s longer than a House term!

Longer terms allow for the session to be more productive

That makes no sense whatsoever.

It allows for the legislature to get more done in a session, and no region has 2 month terms anyways, so are Fremont and the South wrong for having longer terms than the House?

Yes, Fremont and the South have it wrong.

Why does getting more done in a session matter though if there are twice as many sessions in a calendar year?

I really don't understand the need for frequent elections, 3 months or 4 months is fine.

[S019]

I want to see an amendment on these terms. 4 months is not acceptable.

The only alternative which has enough support is 3. Unless you want to bump it up to 6, the votes do not exist for 2 months.

[S019]

The cowardice shown by this chamber today is alarming. This is a day that will live in infamy in our region, a victory for the gun lobby over the common man, fueled by dishonest attacks that changing a far right wing interpretation of gun rights written by rich, white men 300 years ago, who also believed slavery should be legal and that women shouldn't vote is a poison pill? The amendment was merely meant to bring the interpretation of gun rights into a modern era, over time we changed our views on race and on gender, and guess what it didn't destroy the nation like some thought! Now we have the same textualist arguments arising again, fearing change. To those who voted with the NRA today, ask yourself, what will your children and grandchildren think when they read about this in the history books. Was the constitution meant to be a 300 year old rag collecting dust? Or, was it meant to be a living document, meant to change with the times. Let it be known, that while we failed today, our movement remains alive, our fight for the victims of those who lost their lives to gun violence lives on. And let it be clear, we will not stop until no person dies from gun violence.



Also since I'm here I will vote anyways:

1. 3 months
2. Write-In: 4 months
3. Write-In: 2 months is too short, the insistence on it is ridiculous
4. Write-In: Clinging to the words of 300 year old white slaveowners is not cool

[S019]

I am irritated that I'm being accused of political posturing, when everyone here involved knows my views on the gun issue, and knows that I genuinely believe in such a narrow interpretation of gun ownership (confused why people responded to my argument, when they knew that the amendment would fail and they thought that it was deranged ramblings, this is not an invitation to reopen said argument). Putting that aside, I'm unsure why the opposition to 4 months is so loud, and the arguments against 2 can easily be deciphered looking through this thread. Also I don't understand the issue with 7 member legislatures, especially given how uncommon they've been. They haven't occurred since I lost re-election, and for better or for worse, Lincoln had a much larger active player base back then (not going to debate the merits of that). If we have enough players to sustain a 7 member legislature, imo that is a sign of heightened interest in the region, and we might want to have the seats to accommodate that heightened interest. Likewise, when I returned to the Council in October 2019, interest in the region was very low and the region could only sustain a three person legislature. The only case where large legislatures could be bad is April 2019, when both sides were forced to recruit way too many candidates and that resulted in a chamber where four people (me, Pyro, Tack, and Griff) wrote all of the bills. None of the people running right now strike me as people who will be super inactive in office, so I don't think this situation will repeat.

[S019]

As for the seven versus five member debate, all I’m saying is seven is no more efficient than five. If you think 7 is reasonable when there’s literally 9 candidates because it wouldn’t be a good idea to deny 4 candidates a chance to win elected office, that’s a fair point. I’m not sure what else is here to discuss other than remind you the dangerous of excessive offices can create in the long run that Adam and others have warned about in the leadup to June 2019 as well as during Rimjob.

I don't think you'd get excessive offices unless you end up with a April 2019 scenario as mentioned above, when Griffin and others did move to cap the legislature size. Also another way around this is to strengthen activity requirements, which I always thought were too lax, missing amendment votes should also count for activity requirements, imo.

[S019]

It's no secret that I don't support a hard veto, so I want to try this once, if it fails, then it fails, if it passes then it passes. This will introduce a tiered veto system, which allows the governor to have some hard vetoes and introduces a line item veto that can be used once in a blue moon. I think this a fair compromise on veto power, this gives the governor flexibility in which type of veto they'd like to use. It also keeps referendum vetoes, as well. The flexibility that this system provides I think is a better alternative than restricting the Governor to one type of veto.

A. The Lincoln Council is hereby renamed to the Lincoln Chamber of Deputies, and notwithstanding anything else in this amendment, the Councillors (who shall now be known as Deputies), along with the incumbent governor, shall serve as acting officials in their respective offices under this new constitution until the next applicable election. The Chamber of Deputies first order of business will be writing a new SOAP.

B. If any existing Lincoln laws conflict with this amendment, they are hereby amended such that they comply/agree with the amendment, with full severability if a provision would need to be removed.

C. The Lincoln Constitution is hereby amended to read as follows:

Third Lincoln Constitution

Preamble
We, the people of the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the Virgin Islands, acting in accordance with the great precept that all men and women are created equal, and for the purpose of preserving the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for Lincoln.
Bill of Rights
1. All persons born or naturalized in the Republic of Atlasia and being residents of one of the states of this region, are citizens of Lincoln, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of the same. No citizen shall be denied equal protection under the law.
2. The Chamber of Deputies shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, nor of the press, nor the right to assemble and petition for the redress of grievances.
3. The Chamber shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, nor obstructing the freedom of worship. No government organization shall sponsor religion in any way.
4. Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, shall exist within this region, or in any territories under its jurisdiction.
5. A well-regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of citizens to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
6. In all suits of criminal law, the accused shall have right to a free and fair trial by an impartial jury of their peers.
7. No person accused of any crime under the laws of this region shall be subjected to warrantless search or seizure of their homes, persons, records, or possessions; nor excessive bail; nor cruel or unusual punishment; nor compelled to bear witness against herself; nor denied right to legal counsel.
8. The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, save when in times of war or rebellion the public safety may require it.
9. The enumeration of certain rights in this Constitution shall not be construed as to deny those natural and inherent rights herein unlisted.
(Copy of Fremont, cutting the collective bargaining section)
Article I: The Legislative power
1. All legislative powers granted herein shall be vested in an Chamber.
2. The Chamber shall consist of five members, except when there are nine or more candidates on the ballot in a regular election, in which case it shall be seven, or if there are less than five candidates running, in which case the number of candidates shall be one less than those contesting the election, chosen every fourth month by the eligible voters of Lincoln, according to a method of proportional representation prescribed by law.
3. No person shall be a member of the Chamber who is not a citizen of this region, and no person shall remain a member who is found by a vote of three-fourths of their peers to be guilty of gross negligence, high crimes, or misdemeanors.
4. The Chamber shall elect its speaker and other officers and shall have sole authority to determine its own methods of proceedings.
5. Every bill passed by the Chamber shall, before it becomes law, be submitted to the judgment of the governor. If they approve of it, they should sign it and it will become law; but if they disapprove they may veto it, per the guidelines in I:6, and it shall be returned to the Chamber. If, after considering the objections of the governor, the Chamber should by a two-thirds vote agree to pass the same bill, it shall become law regardless of the governor's objections. If the governor shall not act to sign or veto, per the guidelines in I:6 a bill, it shall become law seven (7) days after its adoption by the Chamber. The Governor shall have the authority to submit revisions to passed legislation, if they deem fit, and return it to the legislature for reconsideration. If the redrafted bill is rejected by the chamber, and the original bill passed the chamber by a two-thirds margin, the original bill shall be sent to referendum. If the redrafted bill is rejected by the Chamber, and the original bill passed by less than two-thirds, the Governor shall be compelled to sign or veto, per the guidelines in I:6 the original bill.

6. The governor shall have three types of vetos: a hard veto, a soft veto, and a line item veto. A soft veto shall allow the governor to send the bill to referendum, if said veto is not overridden. A hard veto shall allow the governor to kill a bill, if said veto is not overridden. A line item veto shall allow the governor to kill some clauses of a bill, and sign others, at their discretion, if said veto is not overridden. The governor shall have 5 hard vetoes per legislative session and 2 line item vetoes. The governor may not use a line item veto on the same legislation on which they use the redraft. Other than these 7 vetoes, all other vetoes of the Governor shall be soft vetoes

6. 7. Whenever a vacancy should occur in the composition of the Chamber, the governor shall appoint a replacement. Should the vacancy have occurred fewer than 336 hours before the next general election, the member thus nominated shall serve the remainder of the existing term; otherwise, they shall serve only until a new member may be elected.
7. 8. The Chamber may, by a four-fifths vote, impeach and remove the governor for gross negligence or criminal acts; but the governor shall not be convicted without the concurrence of four-fifths of the members present, and the penalty for his conviction shall not exceed removal from office and disbarment from holding any office under this region for eighteen months.
8. 9. In the event of a tied vote of the Chamber, the governor shall have the power to break the tie.

Article II: The Executive Power
1. The powers and duties of the executive shall be vested in the governor of Lincoln
2. The governor shall be elected every fourth month by the entire body of eligible voters. No person shall be governor who is not a citizen of Lincoln, and no elected governor shall be a member of the Chamber.
3. The governor shall have the power to carry out all acts in association with the enforcement of the laws passed under this constitution; to command the militia in times of war; to appoint the heads of such departments which may be established by law; to issue pardons and reprieves for crimes committed under the laws of this region, which shall be permanent upon their issuance, though they shall have no power to pardon themselves; to appoint, in accordance with Article V of the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, the associate justice of the circuit court of this region; and to approve, or veto, all acts passed by the Chamber.
4. Should the governor vacate their office either by their death, removal, forfeiture, or resignation, then the speaker of the Chamber, or if there be no speaker the member with the longest continuous service, shall act as governor until a successor may be elected. The acting governor need not vacate their seat in the Chamber, but they shall have no vote in its proceedings so long as they continue to exercise the powers of the governor. If there is neither a speaker nor any members of the Chamber, then the powers and duties of the governor shall devolve upon the associate justice of the circuit court, or if there be none such officer as the president of Atlasia may appoint from among the citizens of Lincoln, until a successor may be elected.
Article III: Senators
1. Elections for the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia shall be conducted at regular intervals, in the months prescribed by the Constitution thereof.
2. Senators shall be elected by a direct vote of the people, and no person eligible to vote in elections for governor and Council shall be denied the right to vote for Senator.
3. Should a vacancy occur in the representation of this Region in the Senate, the governor shall appoint an interim senator to serve until a replacement may be elected. Special elections for the Senate shall begin on the Friday following the creation of the vacancy; but if the vacancy shall occur on a Thursday, the special election shall begin on the second Friday following the creation of the vacancy.
4. Senators who are elected in a regularly scheduled election shall take office on the first day of the next session of Congress. Senators elected in a special election shall take office immediately upon election.
Article IV: Elections
1. The right to vote in all elections and referendums called according to the provisions of this Constitution shall be exclusive to those persons being eligible to vote in elections for President of the Republic of Atlasia who have been registered to vote in one of the states of this Region for a period of at least 72 hours prior to the commencement of the election. The Chamber shall have the right to pass further residency requirements through legislation.
2. Voters shall be permitted to edit their ballots until 20 minutes after posting them in the voting booth. No voter shall edit their ballot after the official end of the voting period.
3. All elections and referendums of this region shall be administered by the governor. Whenever the governor should be unable to perform this duty, the speaker of the Chamber, or in their absence the most senior member, shall administer the election.
4. Elections for governor and Chamber shall be held in the months of April, August, and December.
5. Candidates for governor, Chamber, and federal Senate must declare their candidacy in the appropriate thread by 2:00:00 PM, Eastern Time, on the Thursday preceding the election in order to appear on the ballot.
6. Except in the month of December, elections for governor, Chamber, and federal Senate shall begin on the penultimate Friday of the given month. In December, all elections shall begin on the second Friday of the month. Special Elections are scheduled by the Governor at any date that they deem fit. In all cases, voting shall begin at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Time, on the appointed day and continue for 72 hours hence.
7. Following the expiration of the voting period, the election administrator shall have 24 hours to produce a tally of the votes cast and to announce the persons elected.
8. All elections shall be by single transferable vote, unless otherwise specified by law.
9. The terms of the Governor and Chamber  shall begin at 12:00:00 Eastern Time on the first Wednesday following their election. Prior to assuming office, the governor and members shall swear the following oath or equivalent: “I, [A.B.], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of [state office name] and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the constitutions of Lincoln and the Republic of Atlasia.” Any person elected to office under this constitution who shall fail to swear or affirm the aforesaid within 72 hours of the constitutional commencement of their term, shall forfeit their office.
10. All referendums on proposed amendments to this constitution and to the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia shall begin on the first Friday following their passage by the appropriate body; but if the passage shall occur on a Thursday, the referendum shall begin on the second Friday following passage. The appropriate election administrator shall open the voting booth at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Time. Voting shall continue for 72 hours, and no vote cast more than 72 hours after the voting booth was opened shall be considered valid.
11. In all referendums, a “YES” vote shall be considered a vote in favor of passing the referendum and a “NO” vote shall be considered a vote against passing the referendum. Abstentions shall not affect the results of the referendum. In all cases, a simple majority of those voting “YES” or “NO” shall be required to pass the referendum.
Article V: Amendments
1. The Chamber shall have the power to propose amendments to this constitution by a two-thirds vote.
2. Lincoln shall ratify amendments to the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia by public referendum.

Occupying: Government Slot 7 of 12
Sponsor: Speaker Dwarven Dragon

[/quote]

[S019]

My suggestion would be to just make the constitution and government structure as simple as possible since that will allow Lincoln to be able to focus on having fair passionate fights over all sorts of ideological issues that this region has been known for years.

Either a 4 month governor term with 2 month legislative terms or having both at 3 months would work. I feel like 4 and 2 would be a better arrangement for Lincoln due to its history and culture being prone to wild shifts and the elections are what makes the history in a way the South and Fremont aren't  (since the South has always had a more conservative natural bent while Fremont is more consistently progressive dominated without much opposition). I feel like this spirit should be embraced as the core character of the region as I have written in detail about on the wiki page. https://talkelections.org/AFEWIKI/index.php?title=Lincoln#History

As for legislature size, I think 5 and 7 is a standard that works fine.

2 months is way too frequent. 3 or 4 is fine.