Withdrawal Resolution [Passed]

[Sam Spade]

Withdrawal Resolution

To add a new appropriatley numbered section to the OSPR stating the following:
1. Any bill that he has reached the senate floor may be withdrawn by the sponsor at any time
2. Another senator has seventy-two (72) hours to pick up sponsorship of the bill, otherwise the bill is no longer valid.

(Sponsor: DWTL)


I changed the title from Act to Resolution, since this only deals with Senate rules.

I will have some amendments on this one.

[Sam Spade]

I have an amendment as well that I just thought about:

To add a Section 3 stating:
"The original sponsor may object to responsorship and to override this decision takes a 60% vote"

Consider it friendly unless there is an objection

I object.

[Sam Spade]

We are now voting on the following amendment:

I have an amendment as well that I just thought about:

To add a Section 3 stating:
"The original sponsor may object to responsorship and to override this decision takes a 60% vote"

Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.


Nay.

[Sam Spade]

I should hopefully have my amendment to this legislation done by tomorrow.

[Sam Spade]

I would like to ask the good Senator from Maryland to postpone his cloture vote until I can bring a couple of important amendments to the legislation.  Thank you.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, and I have a friendly amendment to strike the word "he" from section 1.

Senators have 24 hours to object to this friendly amendment.

[Sam Spade]

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Amendment to replace the full text with:

To add a new appropriatley numbered section to the OSPR stating the following:
Any bill that has reached the senate floor may be withdrawn by the originaly sponsor at any time except during a vote or until after an amendment to it has been passed by a vote. A bill may still be withdrawn after a friendly amendment.

I'd like to see this amendment voted on irrespective of whether DWDL's amendment to strike section 2 passes.

Oh, and I have a friendly amendment to strike the word "he" from section 1.

This amendment looks better than DWTL's bill, but are still some issues.

[Sam Spade]

Amendment to replace the bill with the following:

Three new appropriately numbered clauses shall be added to Article 4, Section 1 with the following text:

1. After a piece of legislation is introduced on the Senate floor, the original sponsor may motion to withdraw the legislation under consideration at any point prior to a final vote on passage or after the President has vetoed the legislation, but the original sponsor may not motion to withdraw the legislation if the Senate is presently voting on any Amendments to the legislation or is presently voting on a motion for cloture.

2. Co-sponsors of legislation under consideration shall have no power to withdraw legislation nor contest withdrawal of legislation by the original sponsor.  Any office-holding Senator may assume sponsorship of the legislation within 72 hours after the original sponsor has motioned to withdraw, but only by unanimous consent of the Senate (excluding the original sponsor).  Once a motion to assume sponsorship has been placed by the Senator who wishes to sponsor the legislation, Senators shall have 48 hours to object to this motion.  The bill shall be withdrawn from the Senate floor if any Senator objects to this motion.

3. For the purposes of Articles 3, 4 and 5, the original sponsor shall be defined as the Senator who introduced the legislation in the Legislation Introduction Thread.

Article 3, Section 2, Clause 4, Subsection d shall be amended as follows:

d. 72 hours after a motion to withdraw by the original sponsor or after a motion to assume sponsorship has failed unanimous consent.


This is not perfect, but it is the best I could come up with on short notice. 

[Sam Spade]

I propose an amendment to strike Section 2

When will the vote on this start?

Once the motion on the friendly amendment has gone through.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, and I have a friendly amendment to strike the word "he" from section 1.

Senators have 24 hours to object to this friendly amendment.

This amendment has been accepted as friendly without objection.

[Sam Spade]

We are voting on the following amendment.

I propose an amendment to strike Section 2.

Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.


Aye.

[Sam Spade]

Presently, the vote is 4-2, with PBrunsel, Rob, Al, and DWTL not voting yet.

[Sam Spade]

We are now voting on the following amendment:

Amendment to replace the full text with:

To add a new appropriatley numbered section to the OSPR stating the following:
Any bill that has reached the senate floor may be withdrawn by the originaly sponsor at any time except during a vote or until after an amendment to it has been passed by a vote. A bill may still be withdrawn after a friendly amendment.

Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.


Nay, primarily to get to my rewrite of this resolution.

[Sam Spade]

We are now voting on the following amendment:

Amendment to replace the bill with the following:

Three new appropriately numbered clauses shall be added to Article 4, Section 1 with the following text:

1. After a piece of legislation is introduced on the Senate floor, the original sponsor may motion to withdraw the legislation under consideration at any point prior to a final vote on passage or after the President has vetoed the legislation, but the original sponsor may not motion to withdraw the legislation if the Senate is presently voting on any Amendments to the legislation or is presently voting on a motion for cloture.

2. Co-sponsors of legislation under consideration shall have no power to withdraw legislation nor contest withdrawal of legislation by the original sponsor.  Any office-holding Senator may assume sponsorship of the legislation within 72 hours after the original sponsor has motioned to withdraw, but only by unanimous consent of the Senate (excluding the original sponsor).  Once a motion to assume sponsorship has been placed by the Senator who wishes to sponsor the legislation, Senators shall have 48 hours to object to this motion.  The bill shall be withdrawn from the Senate floor if any Senator objects to this motion.

3. For the purposes of Articles 3, 4 and 5, the original sponsor shall be defined as the Senator who introduced the legislation in the Legislation Introduction Thread.

Article 3, Section 2, Clause 4, Subsection d shall be amended as follows:

d. 72 hours after a motion to withdraw by the original sponsor or after a motion to assume sponsorship has failed unanimous consent.

Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.


Aye.

[Sam Spade]

Another broad amendment dealing with some holes in the cloture provision:


Article 4, Section 1, Clause 4 of the OSPR shall be amended as follows (changes in italics):

At any time after the first seventy-two (72) hours of debate that are mandated on any and all legislation under consideration, a motion for cloture passed with the concurrence of a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Senate shall end the debate, and the PPT shall open a vote on the legislation under consideration.  A motion for cloture shall not be required to open a final vote on Amendments to the Constitution.  If the Senate is presently voting on any legislative Amendments, or if there are any Amendments pending, then the Senate shall not vote on the motion for cloture until said Amendments have been disposed of.

Two new clauses, numbered Article 4, Section 1, Clause 7, 8 shall be added to the OSPR:

7. The PPT shall open a vote on a motion for cloture immediately, with no time allowed for debate.  This vote shall last for a maximum of five (5) days during which time the Senators must vote. Voting may be declared final at any time if a majority of office-holding Senators has approved or rejected said motion for cloture. Any and all Senators who do not vote will be considered to have abstained.

8. If needed, an injunction may be brought by a Senator to keep voting on the motion for cloture open for another forty-eight (48) hours after which time the voting shall close. This injunction must be seconded by another Senator.


One other amendment for a minor change to the veto override system:


Article 5, Section 3, Clause 1 of the OSPR shall be amended as follows (changes in italics):

If a piece of legislation is vetoed by the President, the original sponsor of the bill must let the PPT know publicly on the Senate floor within seventy-two (72) hours of the veto being placed whether he wishes to have a vote to override the veto. If he replies in the negative or fails to reply within the given time, the legislation will be withdrawn from the Senate floor.


That should be all.

[Sam Spade]

Why the original sponsor? Especially since he may not be a member of the Senate anymore?

You raise a good point.  I will bring up an amendment dealing with the original sponsor if he leaves the Senate.

[Sam Spade]

We are now voting on the following three amendments:

Article 4, Section 1, Clause 4 of the OSPR shall be amended as follows (changes in italics):

At any time after the first seventy-two (72) hours of debate that are mandated on any and all legislation under consideration, a motion for cloture passed with the concurrence of a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Senate shall end the debate, and the PPT shall open a vote on the legislation under consideration.  A motion for cloture shall not be required to open a final vote on Amendments to the Constitution.  If the Senate is presently voting on any legislative Amendments, or if there are any Amendments pending, then the Senate shall not vote on the motion for cloture until said Amendments have been disposed of.

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Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.


Aye to all.

[Sam Spade]

bumping in case people missed Amendment 2 voting still ongoing.

[Sam Spade]

An appropriately numbered amendment to Article 3, Section 1 shall be as follows:

If at any time the original sponsor vacates his office as Senator, all legislation introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread shall be declared withdrawn by the PPT by public post.  If a piece of legislation has been introduced on the Senate floor, any office-holding Senator may assume sponsorship per the guidelines in Article 4, Section 1, Clause 10 (that will be the right number, I think)


I see no reason to be more complicated than this.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, and if this is going to be my OSPR minor problem fix up legislation, one other thing:

Article 3, Section 2, Clause 5 is hereby repealed.

This clause is totally in conflict with newer clauses concerning veto overrides in the OSPR.  I am ignoring it for purposes of the LSD Act.

[Sam Spade]

I guess I'll motion for 48 hours extra on the vote on Amendment #2 (and anyone can second).  Otherwise, the vote will close in 3 and a half hours.

[Sam Spade]

Since no one seconded my motion:

With 3 votes in favor, 4 against and 3 not voting, the amendment has failed.

[Sam Spade]

We are now voting on the following amendment:

An appropriately numbered amendment to Article 3, Section 1 shall be as follows:

If at any time the original sponsor vacates his office as Senator, all legislation introduced in the Legislation Introduction Thread shall be declared withdrawn by the PPT by public post.  If a piece of legislation has been introduced on the Senate floor, any office-holding Senator may assume sponsorship per the guidelines in Article 4, Section 1, Clause 10 (that will be the right number, I think)

Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[Sam Spade]

Aye.

[Sam Spade]

We are now voting on the following amendment:

Article 3, Section 2, Clause 5 is hereby repealed.

Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.


Aye.