Fifth Midwest Region Constitutional Convention (for the Fourth Constitution)

[MaxQue]

I got lost while reading that thread.
Which controversial points we still have to settle?

[Redalgo]

Believe it or not, I think the main points of controversy yet to be settled at this point are simply what to call the region and some (or one?) of its states. It's been awhile since I last did a lot of work on this constitution though so my memory about it may be getting a little fuzzy. Until some of the other people in the region more actively partake in the convention there is very little else I can say or do here, really. Hopefully we are on some kind of temporary recess here rather than permanently adjourned. xD

[hawkeye59]

One thing is clear. We must have a legislature.

[ilikeverin]

One thing is clear. We must have a legislature.

Why is that clear?  We just need regularly scheduled elections and referenda.

[MaxQue]

Talking of elections, when is the next?

[ilikeverin]

Talking of elections, when is the next?

That's exactly why we need to make sure elections are regularly timed in this constitution!

[ilikeverin]

Idea for a ballot - let me know if you have other suggestions or ideas for what to vote on or what options to include.  I'll PM people when we bring it to a vote.  This is my top priority as Prime Verin.


Remaining State Names (the top two will be selected)
[ ] Adventure
[ ] Amity
[ ] Harmony
[ ] Adulation

Region Name
[ ] Makawakana
[ ] Makakapana
[ ] Kharovóy
[ ] Midwest
[ ] Great Plains
[ ] Pembina
[ ] Absaroka

Region Descriptor
[ ] Region
[ ] Workers' State
[ ] People's State
[ ] People's Democratic Republic
[ ] People's Democratic Region
[ ] Most Serene Republic
[ ] Most Serene Region
[ ] Occidental Republic
[ ] Occidental Region

Regional Capital
[ ] Cheesewhiz, Vitality (the former Belle Fourche) - legislative, executive, and judicial
[ ] Cheesewhiz, Vitality (the former Belle Fourche) - executive; Cheyenne, (former-Wyoming) - legislative, judicial

Executive Officer Powers (vote for as many as desired)
[ ] Veto power for legislature (needs super-majority to overrule)
[ ] Veto power for legislature (needs majority to overrule)
[ ] Tie-breaking power for legislature

Legislature
[ ] Universal, ad hoc voting periods
[ ] Universal, pre-defined voting periods
[ ] Elected, 5 members
[ ] Elected, 3 members

Election Type
[ ] Approval
[ ] Condorcet
[ ] IRV
[ ] FPTP
[ ] Other: ___________

Election Length
[ ] 3 Days
[ ] 7 Days

Regional Muffin
[ ] Blueberry
[ ] Chocolate chip
[ ] Lemon poppyseed
[ ] Corn
[ ] Blood
[ ] Imaginary
[ ] Israel-Palestinian conflict

[MaxQue]

The vote would by approval or preferential?

[ilikeverin]

The vote would by approval or preferential?

Preferential, I think.  Though we do have our long history of doing it by approval...

[MaxQue]

The vote would by approval or preferential?

Preferential, I think.  Though we do have our long history of doing it by approval...

Hence my question.

[ilikeverin]

The vote would by approval or preferential?

Preferential, I think.  Though we do have our long history of doing it by approval...

Hence my question.

Actually, yeah, let's do it by approval voting.  Any other comments about the substantive content of the vote?

[MaxQue]

The vote would by approval or preferential?

Preferential, I think.  Though we do have our long history of doing it by approval...

Hence my question.

Actually, yeah, let's do it by approval voting.  Any other comments about the substantive content of the vote?

What happens if there is a tie?

[Redalgo]

Perhaps the Prime Verin should be permitted to break any ties which arise so as to expedite what has already been a very long process? Also, how does approval voting work? Is it basically a yes or no provided for every option and the most popular option prevails, or?

[hawkeye59]

Perhaps the Prime Verin should be permitted to break any ties which arise so as to expedite what has already been a very long process? Also, how does approval voting work? Is it basically a yes or no provided for every option and the most popular option prevails, or?

Prime Verin makes sense, and yes, that's what it is, I believe.

[ilikeverin]

In the interest of full disclosure, I've sent out a PM to all Midwesterners (except for "Mr. Libertarian", who I can't find) that reads as follows:


Hello Midwesterners,

I come before you today with a very important vote ahead of us.  This vote is available here.  With this ballot, we go a long way towards finally getting a working Constitution in order that will fix the problems caused by the Third Constitution.  First and foremost, no matter the outcome of the Advisory Vote, we will go back to a fixed calendar of elections.  No longer can inactivity reign supreme in our region forever!

As a part of the advisory vote, we're deciding on the composition of the legislature.  At the moment, we're a universal legislature.  In general, I implore you to continue our vital regional traditions of loony thought, but this is one particular issue where I think looniness and good policy are well aligned.  A universal legislature makes sure that the needs of all Midwesterners, not just an elected few, can and will be heard.  Don't think that this means that the timing of these votes will be as sporadic as it is now; citizen-legislators will be able to propose laws whenever they please, but they will be voted on once every other month, on certain pre-arranged days.  But any restriction of legislating to a select few will make our region less egalitarian, which I think is something that our region holds dear.

That said - vote your conscience!  Whatever vote you make, any vote is a sign that the Midwest shall be trod in the dust no longer, but be raised more fully-formed from the ashes of the Third Constitution!

*hughughug*
Prime Verin ilikeverin

[ilikeverin]

The results are as follows: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=159622.msg3439148#msg3439148

Redalgo, would you care to do the honors of adjusting our current draft of the Constitution to match Midwesterners' preferences?

[Redalgo]

Yes, I will prepare a new draft of the Constitution for review by this convention tomorrow.

My apologies for the delay. I've been a bit distracted from the forum these past few days!

[ilikeverin]

Yes, I will prepare a new draft of the Constitution for review by this convention tomorrow.

My apologies for the delay. I've been a bit distracted from the forum these past few days!

No problem!  Take your time *hughughug*

[ilikeverin]

I've uploaded a version to the Wiki.  It does not yet include the clarified executive office powers, the name of Wyoming, and, most importantly, the elections (or lack thereof).  See here: https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Fourth_Midwest_Constitution

[Redalgo]

I have not accounted for all adjustments we will likely need to make quite yet but did incorporate all of the convention's sentiments as expressed via the recent vote into the language of this document in one form or another.

If there are still changes to be made it would be very helpful to me if they would come to vote as did the others so there may be less uncertainty on my part about what needs to change and whether those changes have the support of this convention as a whole. My apologies for the belated progress. Hopefully we are still on track to ratifying a constitution before year's end!

[Redalgo]

Constitution of the Most Serene Republic of the Midwest

Preamble:

We the People of the Midwest Region, to honor our ancestors and ensure the fair health and wellbeing of our progeny for generations to come, recognize the need for a codified Constitution for the harmonious regulation of conflicting interests betwixt diverse Persons and Factions, and do hereby found the Most Serene Republic of the Midwest and declare this Constitution to be the foundation for its righteous, valid governance. May it forever henceforth stand guard o'er the rights, privileges, and cultural characters of our Peoples!


Section I:

By consenting to the implementation of this Constitution and by accepting its legitimacy, the People and their Government acknowledge that theirs is a relationship with a number of rules and restrictions institutionalized to ensure their mutual wellbeing.

(a) - No act of regional government shall impede or infringe upon the rights of the People to:

• Free thought, expression, conscience, creed, and cultural identity...
• Free movement, association, and participation in cultural rites...
• Shelter, food, water, clothing, medical care, education, and healthful environs...
• Private possession of and secure control over use of their property...
• Representative democracy in the politics of the state and economy...
• Due process, fair trials, and uniform treatment under the law...
• Equitable recognition of consensual civil partnerships under the law...
• Recourse for significant abuses of the body and mind, and for defamation...
• Security of person from execution, exile, torture, and uncivil punishments...
• Ample time off from work for sleep, leisure, and other necessities of life...

Except for when the exercise of rights aforementioned is construed to present a dire, reasonably well-understood threat to the physical and/or mental wellness of persons. These ten items shall be known collectively as the Checklist of Untouchable Social Privileges.

(b) - In exchange, no act of the individual shall impede or infringe upon the rights of state to:

• Enact and enforce laws in compliance with the contents of this Constitution...
• Accrue and appropriate funds for performing state functions via taxation...
• Defend itself from violence, foreign invasion, and domestic treachery...
• Establish and maintain Land, Sky, and Wave Corps for peacekeeping...
• Defer to the authority of the Republic of Atlasia when it is proper...
• Confine, isolate, and rehabilitate persons found guilty of crimes in court...
• Teach people the value of mutual respect and peaceable coexistence...
• Discretion in resolving conflicts of interest betwixt rights of the People...
• Regulate the trade and use of tools with potentially lethal functions...
• Ensure that all members of society can fruitfully participate in public life...

Except for when the exercise of rights aforementioned is construed to present a dire, reasonably well-understood threat to and by the People - in which event they are to check the power of the republic. These ten items shall be known collectively as the Checklist of Approved Social Tasking.

(c) - The Land, Sky, and Wave Corps shall be responsible for policing all developed and wilderness areas within the region, rendering emergency assistance during times of grave unrest or regional disaster, serving in the regional defense against acts of terrorism, and assuming the roles of military police on bases of the Atlasian armed forces.

(d) - No regional militia is to be maintained. In the event of an invasion, the Land, Sky, and Wave Corps shall coordinate with private militias and the Atlasian armed forces to mount the defense of our People and their resources. There shall never be conscription.

(e) - Military personnel shall, without exception, be entitled to trials by civilian courts.

(f) - In the event of a state of war existing betwixt Atlasia and one or more other nations, the Most Serene Republic retains its prerogative to choose whether to remain one with its fellow regions in Atlasia, peaceably declare independence from the Union, or to surrender.


Section II:

(a) - The Alþing shall serve its legislative and executive functions in Cheesewhiz, Vitality.

(b) - Eighty-eight, being the number of trustees required for us to see some serious sh*t, shall be the count of the Folk Representanter elected at-large to the Alþing on, and for the full duration of, the first weeks of January, May, July, and October via party-list proportional representation. No representant may sit on the Alþing for more than two consecutive sessions. If fewer than eighty-eight candidates declare, then all shall be Folk Representanter without need for a formal vote, and their term limits shall cease to apply.

(c) - The many Folk Representanter shall decide on matters pertaining to the creation and passage of legislation. Votes in the Alþing are to be more than one day in their durations; those who do not express an affirmative or oppositional position in the allotted time shall not be counted in the final tallies; and a constitutional amendment passes with four-fifths of the Folk Representanter present pledging votes of "you bet," in affirmation.

(d) - One Regional Kommissær is to be elected at-large from among the elected representanter over the course of seven days, starting on the fourteenth days of January, May, July, and October, using instant-runoff voting to discern which candidate receives an absolute majority of the vote. The winner is to serve as a Folk Representant, head of government, and as the official "Lord of the Cakes." The Kommissær’s vote shall be that resolving tied verdicts reached by the Alþing.

(e) - No rules of procedure shall be formalized by the Alþing except for those outlined in this Constitution. It shall build consensus or, in lieu of settling conflicts with words, resolve differences via games played by those of the representanter in a row. Failing that, the Regional Kommissær is to utilize their unabridged power to feast on cakes to restore representanter solidarity.

(f) - If a Representant is to be absent, they may pick anyone to temporarily fill their seat.


Section III:

(a) - The Depositaren is to serve its investigative and judicial functions in the capital of the republic: Cheesewhiz, Vitality (formerly known as Belle Fourche), where a grand, weatherproof temple of knowledge shall be built and maintained in perpetuity using regional public monies. The facility is to conduct research, double in its functions as a museum and learning center, and shall be "The Most Serene Library."

(b) - Therein shall reside a Wisard Ekstraordinær tasked with deciding on whether legislation passed by the Alþing is in complete compliance with this Constitution. He or she serves as the ceremonial head of state and "Hugger in Chief," oversees all elections, is a regional spokesperson, and counsels the Kommissær on nominations and other stuff.

(c) - If the Wisard Ekstraordinær deems legislation unconstitutional, they are to become ornery about it and resentfully waggle a wooden staff in the bill’s general direction for a length of time they deem appropriate - the extremity of their umbrage being represented by the number of waggles performed. The Wisard keeps their seat until a challenger can best them in a spontaneous, instant-runoff vote overseen by the Kommissær that shall last precisely seven days.

(d) - The Depositaren shall be administered by the Wisard in such a way as to promise the people of the Most Serene Republic free and fair elections, a transparent government, progress in areas of scientific research, and the fruition of new works of aesthetic art by citizens of the region. Rumors shall also be spread to children that legendary critters and figures of folklore like Santa Claus, Paul Bunyan, and Dave Leip dwell in Cheesewhiz.

(e) - A Wisard Ekstraordinær is required to always wear a robe when in public, abstain from cutting their hair for the duration of their tenure, procure and lovingly care for at least one exotic pet, dispense and emotica on behalf of the regional government, don a flamboyant hat, and reach out to the mass media to foster good political dialogue.

(f) - A magnificent Leaning Haberdashery Lounge is to be established and maintained using public monies, for the commendation of freedom fighters, derision of horrible persons, inebriated dances and shenanigans, and recounting of regional glories. It shall be forbidden for the Wisard Ekstraordinær to participate in karaoke at this lounge.

[Redalgo]

Section IV:

(a) - Until regularly scheduled elections can be held in October, signatory members of the Fifth Midwest Region Constitutional Convention shall be tasked with nominating and electing all Folk Representanter, the first Regional Kommissær, and first Wisard Ekstraordinær to office. Citizens may not challenge the Wisard until the first free election of the Alþing.

(b) - The eleven provinces of the republic shall be as follows:

• Joy (MN)
• Mirth (CO)
• Bluster (OK)
• Moxie (IA)
• Swagger (KS)
• Harmony (NM)
• Grit (NE)
• Wonderment (MT)
• Vitality (SD)
• Serenity (ND)
• Amity (WY)

(c) - The official symbols of the republic shall be as follows:

• Anthem - Most Holy Cake
• Bird - Black-billed magpie
• Cat - Fritz
• Colors - Copper and gold
• Emotica - and
• Flag - Click Here
• Flower - Sunflower
• Gesture of Affection - *hughughug*
• Gesture of Solidarity - *hughuggrunt*
• Motto - Granumi hoc Bonus
• Muffin - Blueberry
• Toast - Skål!

(d) - The official holidays of the region shall be as follows:

• New Year's Day (Jan 1)
• Groovy Day of Love (Feb 14)
• Earth Day (Apr 22)
• International Workers' Day (May 1)
• Whiskerando Day (Jul 6)
• Hug Gustaf Day (Jul 14)
• Pioneer Day (Jul 24)
• Halloween (Oct 31)
• EVD Remembrance Day (Nov 5)
• Native Atlasian Heritage Day (Nov 28)
• Human Rights Day (Dec 10)
• Christmas Day (Dec 25)
• Kwanza (Dec 26 - Jan 1)
• Midsummer (Variable)
• The Festival of Light (Variable)
• Muslim Friends Day (Variable)

(e) - In casting votes, except for in the case of preferential ranking, an affirmative attitude shall be expressed using an expression of, "ya," "you bet," "you bet'cha," or " ," while any votes cast in opposition are to be expressed as, "na," "oh deev," " ," "uff-da," or a variation thereof.  

(f) - The Most Serene Republic of the Midwest has no official language but the provinces may determine which language(s) shall be primary, provided no language be prohibited.

[MaxQue]

Do we need a clause against self-proclaimed Lord Protectors, or may we assume than it was a one-time occurence?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Do we need a clause against self-proclaimed Lord Protectors, or may we assume than it was a one-time occurence?

Um, what are you doing here? I dismissed this House already.

Now obey or face the charges for high treason.

[MaxQue]

Do we need a clause against self-proclaimed Lord Protectors, or may we assume than it was a one-time occurence?

Um, what are you doing here? I dismissed this House already.

Now obey or face the charges for high treason.

As I'm living in Nyman for the moment because of my position of dSOFA, it will be quite hard to charge me from Midwest.