SB 104-01: Senate Succession Rules (Passed)

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Senate Succession Rules

The nine at-large seats shall be numbered 1 through 9. Succession of these seats shall be determined by applying the following rules, one at a time, to assign seats both to parties and to individual Senators:

1. Any incumbent at-large Senator continuing to serve in that capacity in the subsequent Senate shall retain their seat.

2. Any political party holding seats in both the preceding and subsequent Senates shall retain the seats held in the preceding Senate.
a) If a party holds fewer seats than in the preceding Senate, they shall retain the seats they have held continuously the longest.

3. Any elected at-large Senator who has previously served in an at-large seat, if they are  to serve in said seat after the evaluation of the previous rules, shall again hold that seat.
a)If an incoming Senator has held (and is eligible for) multiple available seats, preference shall be given to the seat most recently served in.
b)If multiple former members would be assigned to the same seat under this mechanism, preference shall be given to the Senator who most recently served in the seat.

4. Any party holding more seats in the subsequent Senate than in the preceding one shall be entitled to the party's most recently held seats which are still available after the evaluation of the previous rules, if such seats exist.
a) If multiple parties would be assigned the same seat under this mechanism, preference shall be given to the party that most recently served in the seat.

5. If, after evaluation of the previous rules, there is a clear ideological alignment between the outgoing Senator in an available seat and an unassigned incoming member - with no other unassigned member having a plausible ideological connection to said incumbent - the incoming member in question shall be assigned that incumbent's seat.

6. After evaluation of the previous rules, any further incoming at-large Senators shall be assigned to the lowest-numbered available seat for which they are eligible at the time when they post their swearing into office.


For the purposes of seat allocation for the inaugural Senate under the new Constitution (the 104th Senate), the history of the nine seats of the House of Representatives shall be substituted for the history of prior Senates in terms of the seats being held by both parties and individuals. For all following Senates, House history shall not be taken into account except when breaking ties under rule 2(a) if a party has held multiple seats since the start of the 104th Senate.

Sponsor: MB

The gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands is recognized.

[Dr. MB]

These rules were written by Sestak and are meant to streamline the process for succession in the new senate. I don’t have much to say other than I hope we can pass this quickly but if anyone has objections then make them known.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Motion to invoke unanimous consent.

Senators have 24 hours to object.

[Joseph Cao]

Objection – how are Independent senators treated? Are we to understand that this essentially relegates seniority to a tiebreaking factor? We might be able to clarify the wording in clause 6 regarding eligibility for available seats.

[Dr. MB]

Objection – how are Independent senators treated? Are we to understand that this essentially relegates seniority to a tiebreaking factor? We might be able to clarify the wording in clause 6 regarding eligibility for available seats.

Seniority doesn't mean much in this game. It only applies when you're the longest serving senator.

I'll summon Sestak though to clarify.

[Sestak]

Objection – how are Independent senators treated? Are we to understand that this essentially relegates seniority to a tiebreaking factor? We might be able to clarify the wording in clause 6 regarding eligibility for available seats.

Independent is (as it was in the old House) treated as its own party within these rules. I can understand maybe excepting independents from rule 4, though I think they should definitely count as a party for rule 2 and it doesn’t make too much of a difference.

Seniority has always only been a final tiebreaker for succession of seats, after party affiliation etc. has been evaluated.

You can try alternative language for rule 6, but it feels like it’s prettt clear atm? Previous rules have restricted eligibility for any remaining members by assigning some seats to other members or parties, or perhaps by assigning seats to the party ahead of time in rules 2 and 4. The first unassigned member to swear in gets the lowest numbered seat that wouldn’t violate previous evaluation in any way.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Many elected indies also tend to fall under the "ideological alignment" of clause 5. Examples would include Dereich and more recently Cinyc and Lumine last year.

[Joseph Cao]

Objection – how are Independent senators treated? Are we to understand that this essentially relegates seniority to a tiebreaking factor? We might be able to clarify the wording in clause 6 regarding eligibility for available seats.

You can try alternative language for rule 6, but it feels like it’s prettt clear atm? Previous rules have restricted eligibility for any remaining members by assigning some seats to other members or parties, or perhaps by assigning seats to the party ahead of time in rules 2 and 4. The first unassigned member to swear in gets the lowest numbered seat that wouldn’t violate previous evaluation in any way.

Fair enough. Rule 6 scans better for me at least now that I'm not operating on five hours of sleep, so objection dropped there. Glad for the clarification though.

[wxtransit]

I'd like to move for a final vote, Mr. President.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

A final vote will open in 24 hours.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Hearing no objection, a final vote is now open. Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

Senate Succession Rules

The nine at-large seats shall be numbered 1 through 9. Succession of these seats shall be determined by applying the following rules, one at a time, to assign seats both to parties and to individual Senators:

1. Any incumbent at-large Senator continuing to serve in that capacity in the subsequent Senate shall retain their seat.

2. Any political party holding seats in both the preceding and subsequent Senates shall retain the seats held in the preceding Senate.
a) If a party holds fewer seats than in the preceding Senate, they shall retain the seats they have held continuously the longest.

3. Any elected at-large Senator who has previously served in an at-large seat, if they are  to serve in said seat after the evaluation of the previous rules, shall again hold that seat.
a)If an incoming Senator has held (and is eligible for) multiple available seats, preference shall be given to the seat most recently served in.
b)If multiple former members would be assigned to the same seat under this mechanism, preference shall be given to the Senator who most recently served in the seat.

4. Any party holding more seats in the subsequent Senate than in the preceding one shall be entitled to the party's most recently held seats which are still available after the evaluation of the previous rules, if such seats exist.
a) If multiple parties would be assigned the same seat under this mechanism, preference shall be given to the party that most recently served in the seat.

5. If, after evaluation of the previous rules, there is a clear ideological alignment between the outgoing Senator in an available seat and an unassigned incoming member - with no other unassigned member having a plausible ideological connection to said incumbent - the incoming member in question shall be assigned that incumbent's seat.

6. After evaluation of the previous rules, any further incoming at-large Senators shall be assigned to the lowest-numbered available seat for which they are eligible at the time when they post their swearing into office.


For the purposes of seat allocation for the inaugural Senate under the new Constitution (the 104th Senate), the history of the nine seats of the House of Representatives shall be substituted for the history of prior Senates in terms of the seats being held by both parties and individuals. For all following Senates, House history shall not be taken into account except when breaking ties under rule 2(a) if a party has held multiple seats since the start of the 104th Senate.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Aye

[Dr. MB]

Aye

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Aye

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Aye

[Spark]

Aye

[wxtransit]

Aye.

[Saint Milei]

Aye

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Aye

[Joseph Cao]

Aye.

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

Abstain

[AGA]

Aye

[Kuumo]

Aye

[Left Wing]

Aye

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

This bill has enough votes to pass. Senators have 24 hours to change their vote.