The Imperial Dominion of the South's Legislature

[Jbrase]

I am having some fun oral surgery tomorrow morning and I may or may not spend the the next few days just relaxing watching South Park and eating yogurt/ other soft foods, you know the American dream.

Anywho, due to me likely not feeling like coming on for a couple days or so Andy Griffith will be  Speaker Pro-Temp from now until lets say Monday morning.

[GM Griffin]

I am having some fun oral surgery tomorrow morning and I may or may not spend the the next few days just relaxing watching South Park and eating yogurt/ other soft foods, you know the American dream.

Anywho, due to me likely not feeling like coming on for a couple days or so Andy Griffith will be  Speaker Pro-Temp from now until lets say Monday morning.

Hope everything goes well. I've had about half of my mouth "rewired" so I feel for you.

[Jbrase]

Ok, I have some pretty good pills so I'm not feeling that bad. But I like the idea of bottom up. So Andy is still Speaker pro-temp until monday.

I kinda like the idea of breaking it into shifts so everyone can get used to running the Legislature.

[GM Griffin]

The Constitutionalization Amendment of 2012

Amending the Constitution to account for the Government Restructuring Act

Article II of the IDS Constitution shall be amended to read:

1. The legislative power of the Imperial Dominion of the South shall be vested in the Imperial Legislature.
2. The Legislature shall be composed of five members, each of whom shall be registered citizens residing in the Imperial Dominion of the South.
3. There shall be five Legislators, unless the Legislature shall provide otherwise by Law.
4. The Viceroy shall be given a casting vote in the Legislature.
5. The Legislature shall have the power to choose its own officers, and judge the qualifications of its members.
6. The legislators shall for electoral purposes be divided into classes A and B. Class A Legislators shall be elected on the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November. Class B shall consist of 2 new Legislators and be elected along with the Emperor. Legislators shall be elected by their constituents.
7. Class A Legislators shall consist of one member registered in the State of Florida, one registered in either the State of South Carolina or the State of North Carolina, and one member registered in the State of Arkansas, the State of Alabama, the State of Mississippi, or the State of Louisiana. Class B Legislators shall consist of one member registered in the State of Texas and one member registered in either the State of Georgia or the State of Tennessee.
8. The method of election shall be PR-STV, as specified in Sections 4 to 17 of the Atlasian Proportional Representation Act (F.L. 21-2), unless the Assembly shall provide otherwise by Law.
9. Vacancies in the Legislature shall be filled in a manner specified by Law, and until such determination is made, by Gubernatorial appointment.
10. In case of a situation where one or two members of the IDS legislature seats are empty, The Viceroy can participate as a member of the legislature. The Viceroy can also do the basic legislative actions that the members are allowed to do.

Let debate commence.

[Jbrase]

As it stands I am opposed because with not every state having voters, and some having proportionally large numbers of voters in comparison to others, I feel its best to leave which state one lives in irrelevant and keep things at-large.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I'm on the same page as JBrase here. It's hard enough to get people to run for office at all. This ammendment could discourage people from running, especially if they hailed from the same state as an already-successful incumbent legislator.

Since state changes are frequent and easily made, I don't really understand the point of the ammendment.

[Emperor SJoyce]

Since state changes are frequent and easily made, I don't really understand the point of the amendment.

Just an idea I had kicking around in my head. In theory it should make people move to different states so that the population makes a bit more sense geographically speaking.

The Constitutionalization Amendment of 2012

Amending the Constitution to account for the Government Restructuring Act

Article II of the IDS Constitution shall be amended to read:

1. The legislative power of the Imperial Dominion of the South shall be vested in the Imperial Legislature.
2. The Legislature shall be composed of five members, each of whom shall be registered citizens residing in the Imperial Dominion of the South.
3. There shall be five Legislators, unless the Legislature shall provide otherwise by Law.
4. The Viceroy shall be given a casting vote in the Legislature.
5. The Legislature shall have the power to choose its own officers, and judge the qualifications of its members.
6. The legislators shall for electoral purposes be divided into classes A and B. Class A Legislators shall be elected on the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November. Class B shall consist of 2 new Legislators and be elected along with the Emperor. Legislators shall be elected by their constituents an at-large vote in the region.
7. Class A Legislators shall consist of one member registered in the State of Florida, one registered in either the State of South Carolina or the State of North Carolina, and one member registered in the State of Arkansas, the State of Alabama, the State of Mississippi, or the State of Louisiana. Class B Legislators shall consist of one member registered in the State of Texas and one member registered in either the State of Georgia or the State of Tennessee.
8. The method of election shall be PR-STV, as specified in Sections 4 to 17 of the Atlasian Proportional Representation Act (F.L. 21-2), unless the Assembly shall provide otherwise by Law.
9. Vacancies in the Legislature shall be filled in a manner specified by Law, and until such determination is made, by Gubernatorial appointment.
10. In case of a situation where one or two members of the IDS legislature seats are empty, The Viceroy can participate as a member of the legislature. The Viceroy can also do the basic legislative actions that the members are allowed to do.

Amendment to at-large but geographically diverse.

[Fmr. Emperor PiT]

     I once had an idea of splitting the region into three districts and electing a Legislator from each, along with two at-large. The proposed bill appeals to me, but I think it's too specific and would just lead to lots of vacancies.

[Jbrase]

     I once had an idea of splitting the region into three districts and electing a Legislator from each, along with two at-large. The proposed bill appeals to me, but I think it's too specific and would just lead to lots of vacancies.

Maybe I could get on board if we set up a committee to change if need be the boundaries of the districts every few months and allow perhaps some of the larger states to be in multiple districts.

Maybe.

[GM Griffin]

I'm thinking an idea like this could in effect work - but it would need backing from the regional census and the lines would need to be recalculated every two months. The only problem is that there would need to be a more concentrated effort with reviving the regional census and finding yet another person to fill that slot. That, or the legislature could redraw the lines.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I like PiT's idea, but I would be more enthusiastic if the proportion of at-large seats to regional seats was a bit different.

Maybe we up the legislature to six members and have three at-large and three regional seats?
Or divide the Dominion into two regions and keep three at-large seats?

I'm just thinking that we could lessen the problems associated with electing legislators from these sub-regions if we made sure at least 50% of the legislature was still at-large.

(also concur that we'd need to re-assess the boundaries regularly)

[Fmr. Emperor PiT]

I'm thinking an idea like this could in effect work - but it would need backing from the regional census and the lines would need to be recalculated every two months. The only problem is that there would need to be a more concentrated effort with reviving the regional census and finding yet another person to fill that slot. That, or the legislature could redraw the lines.

     Redrawing so often would burn people out, I think. Back when we had district Senate seats, elections were once every four months, but the redrawing was only once a year. Maybe redraw once every six months while allowing citizens to petition for a redrawing sooner?

I like PiT's idea, but I would be more enthusiastic if the proportion of at-large seats to regional seats was a bit different.

Maybe we up the legislature to six members and have three at-large and three regional seats?
Or divide the Dominion into two regions and keep three at-large seats?

I'm just thinking that we could lessen the problems associated with electing legislators from these sub-regions if we made sure at least 50% of the legislature was still at-large.

(also concur that we'd need to re-assess the boundaries regularly)

     I also thought about that, but we have had such difficulty filling five seats lately. I'd suggest going on a big recruitment drive if we're going to re-up the number of seats.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Yeah, I hear ya.

I'd suggest going on a big recruitment drive even if we don't re-up the number of seats.

[Fmr. Emperor PiT]

     Hello, everybody!

[Jbrase]

Unless any changes introduced by morning, it'll be up for a vote tomorrow.

[Jbrase]

Up for a final vote.


Nay

[Emperor SJoyce]

Aye.

Eh, at least it caused some discussion.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Nay, sorry SJoyce.

[Emperor SJoyce]

Nay, sorry SJoyce.

It's fine. It was really just a random idea I had pop into my head that I proposed cause of lack of discussion and such.

[GM Griffin]

Nay, although I hope to revisit this idea at some point in the future.

[Jbrase]

3 nays - 1 aye - 1 no vote

The bill has failed

Moving on to

Privacy is a good thing Act

1. The use of drones (unmanned aircraft) by law enforcement, at any level, for uses outside of search and rescue are to be banned in the IDS.

Sponsor: Speaker Jbrase

[Fmr. Emperor PiT]

     I sense federal lawyers lurking in the mist.

[Jbrase]

Let them lurk. We are simply enforcing the rights guaranteed in the Constitution that people shall not be subjected to unreasonable searches and seizures. The fact that it is a robot makes little difference, a warrantless search is a warrantless search.

[GM Griffin]

I support this act, as it is needed given the recent advances in technology that leave areas such as this "grey".

[Fmr. Emperor PiT]

     I think this is great. I just wanted to put that out there.