SR 115-33: Fair Democracy Amendment (Debating)

[Utah Neolib]

Abstain

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Nay

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Nay

[Dr. MB]

Aye

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Cloture fails 2-9-1-6. Debate resumes.

Hearing no objection, NYE is recognized as Sponsor.

[NewYorkExpress]

Proposing an amendment.

Section 2. Amendment for electoral reform

Section 4 of the Constitution is hereby amended:

1. No regional-administered election shall admit as eligible voters any person having resided in any other region within the fifty-six days prior to the commencement of the election. All persons registered in a region shall have a right to eligiblity for ballot access and a right to popular election to regional office.

2. In addition, no subregional senate election shall admit as eligible voters any person having resided in any other region within the fifty-six days prior to the commencement of the election. All persons registered in a subregion shall have a right to eligiblity for ballot access and a right to popular election to the subregional senate seat.

3. Aside from the exceptions as laid out by this section, no region-wide or subregional election or referendum may deny any person the right to vote who would, if a federal election were held concurrently, be eligible to vote in such an election.

4. Term lengths for all regional legislators and regional executives shall be prescribed as either three (3) months for both the executive and the legislature or four (4) months for the executive and two (2) months for the legislature. Any region which combines the executive and the legislature as a parliamentary unit shall have term lengths prescribed as three (3) months. Regional executive and legislative offices may have shorter term lengths than these prescribed in this section.

5. Each legislative body shall be composed of only elected at-large members. If there are five (5) or more candidates on the ballot, at least four (4) must be elected. If there are (6) or more candidates on the ballot, at least five (5) must be elected. Otherwise, at least three (3) must be elected. This clause may not be suspended, unless a region adopts a universal legislature composed of all registered citizens.

6. Any regional legislature of four (4) or fewer members shall only proceed to amend the constitution of the region by a unanimous affirmative vote of members with ratification through a popular referendum of the eligible voters of the region and shall not impeach or expel members of the legislature by less than an affirmative unanimous vote of members voting, except the member to be expelled or impeached.

7. No regional office shall be named President or Vice President.

8. Voting periods in all regional elections and referendums shall be no shorter than a period of seventy-two (72) hours and no longer than 196 hours (196) hours in duration.

9. Aside from the exceptions as laid out by this section, no region shall proceed to amend its constitution without a minimum of two thirds affirmative support of its membership with ratification through a popular referendum by eligible voters of the region.

10. In the instance of a voting booth thread not being posted in time for the scheduled start of a regional election or referendum, the President of Atlasia shall be permitted to authorize the federal administration of a regional election or referendum through an appointed officer or themself.

11. To allow time for regions to update their procedures and avoid suddenly unstaffing governments, Regions will have until August 25, 2023 April 1, 2024 to bring themselves into compliance without penalty, and any existing legislators and executives may serve until that time, and the prior elections shall be the first regional elections conducted under the new system

.

Amendment offered, because I'm not a fan of term limits.

[Sirius_]

It isn't term limits, it's limiting the length of a term. So I object.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Question is on the NYE Amendment.

Nay

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Nay

[fhtagn]

Aye

[NewYorkExpress]

Aye

[West_Midlander]

Aye

[Coastal Elitist]

Aye

[ChiefFireWaterMike]

Aye

[Sirius_]

Nay

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Aye

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Can someone point out what is being last version of the bill and what the changes are that this amendment proposes, because i have no idea.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Nay

It's term lengths, no term limits (and if i'm right here it looks like just 4 is being removed).

[West_Midlander]

Switch to Nay

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Can someone point out what is being last version of the bill and what the changes are that this amendment proposes, because i have no idea.

Looks like 4 and 11 are being changed, but NYE did quote a bit of an old version. I'll post the current text after this vote.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

There has been a proposal floating for terms being at most 140 days for all regional offices (4 months + flexible time for elections such as in december).

August 25 2023 is also too early because we're still debating this, however april 1 2024 is way too late. I would say move the date to after the october elections. The south also has to debate changes and how to do this, if it passes.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

11. To allow time for regions to update their procedures and avoid suddenly unstaffing governments, Regions will have until August 25, 2023 April 1, 2024 to bring themselves into compliance without penalty, and any existing legislators and executives may serve until that time, and the prior elections shall be the first regional elections conducted under the new system

Also

There is a mention of "penalty" here. What penalty? Should this be clarified?

Also i'd like the right for recalls and referendums to be readded in and to be included in the final version of this bill.

[Utah Neolib]

Nay

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

11. To allow time for regions to update their procedures and avoid suddenly unstaffing governments, Regions will have until August 25, 2023 April 1, 2024 to bring themselves into compliance without penalty, and any existing legislators and executives may serve until that time, and the prior elections shall be the first regional elections conducted under the new system

Also

There is a mention of "penalty" here. What penalty? Should this be clarified?

Also i'd like the right for recalls and referendums to be readded in and to be included in the final version of this bill.

It simply clarifies that the federal government will not take any legal action with respect to regional noncompliance until the listed date

[Vice President Christian Man]

Aye