Bills

This is bill id#1393 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas, the Secretary of State (SOS) position is one of the most prestigious in Talossa bestowed with great power and responsibility, and

Whereas, the SOS position is by norm, tradition and, based on the first whereas clause, necessity considered nonpartisan, and

Whereas, the current SOS acts as party leader for the Free Democrats, and

Whereas, this situation is in direct conflict with the norm that the SOS is nonpartisan and could create a potentially dangerous precedent for future SOSs who may not be as honorable and morally upright as the incumbent, and

Whereas, this measure to address this precedent is not an effort to impugn the character, stain the honor and good work of the current SOS, or officially accuse the SOS of a crime and therefore not a bill of attainder, and

Whereas, to demonstrate this, the proposed measure addressing this precedent will only take effect upon the end of the current SOS term.

Therefore, be it resolved, that upon the resignation, dismissal, or death of the incumbent Secretary of State, Dr. Txec dal Nordselva, the following amendment shall be made to section 5 of Title C, so as to read:
 

Quote

5. The Secretary of State shall hold no seat in the Ziu. The Secretary of State shall hold no position of leadership in a political party or other partisan organization.

This is bill id#1394 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas, the British prime minister, Winston Churchill, once stated that “the era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences,” and

Whereas, this quote well-encapsulates humanity’s current predicament in relation to anthropogenic climate change, and

Whereas, in 2022 alone, 25 nations have experienced their hottest summers ever and the past seven years each have been the hottest years in succession, and

Whereas, leading contributors of atmospheric warming emissions (People’s Republic of China, United States of America, and Republic of India) have lagged in fidelity to their commitments based on the Kyoto and Paris Accords.

Therefore, may it be resolved that it is the Sense of the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa:

To declare a climate emergency, and

Based on this declaration state its assessment that anthropogenic climate change is an issue touching not just on scientific and political scopes but also on moral and bioethical scopes, and

To encourage Talossans around the world to make meaningful changes in their personal lives to limit their individual and family contributions to climate change, and

To encourage nations which are leading contributors to climate change to meet their previously-agreed treaty-based commitments.
 

This is bill id#1395 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas, the Kingdom of Talossa has long claimed a mythical and/or mystical Berber connection, and

Whereas, the Kingdom can honor this connection by supporting the right to self-determination of Berber peoples such as the Sahrawi of Western Sahara, and

Whereas, Western Sahara has been under military occupation by the Kingdom of Morocco for nearly five decades.

Therefore, be it resolved that it is the Sense of the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa:

To call on the Kingdom of Morocco to negotiate and finalize under UN auspices the end of its occupation of Western Sahara, and

To honor its mystical Berber connection, beyond the mere espousing of it, by raising awareness of the Western Sahara struggle in Talossa and beyond.

This is bill id#1396 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

WHEREAS the principle of the Royal Civil Service, including the Chancery, is that it should be free from political interference, and yet still responsible for its performance to the elected representatives of the people;

AND WHEREAS when the Royal Civil Service was established, this principle was put into effect such that the Secretary of State should be responsible to the chairs of the Two Houses of the Ziu, as well as to the Seneschal;

AND WHEREAS the current situation is that any one of those three persons can effectively dismiss the Secretary of State;

AND WHEREAS this is a little bit too responsible;

BE IT ENACTED by the King, Cosă and Senäts in Ziu assembled that El Lexhatx C.3.1 be changed to read as follows:
 

Quote

3.1 The Secretary of State is appointed by the King on the recommendation of the Seneschál, and removed by the King on the recommendation of any two of the Seneschál, the Túischac’h or the Mençei for professional misconduct, inability to perform their duties due to incapacitation or failure to perform their required duties.

This is bill id#1397 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

WHEREAS The current system of selecting the Seneschal is way too cumbersome given that the result is pretty much known in advance, and

WHEREAS The system for selecting the Túischac'h works well, and if applied to select the Seneschal, would lead to the same result as an election almost all of the time, and

WHEREAS We also have no method of finding a new Seneschal when the existing Seneschal resigns and there is no Distain

THEREFORE Article VI of the Organic Law, which currently reads:
 

Quote

Section 1 The head of the Government is the Prime Minister, who shall be known otherwise as the Seneschál. Any Talossan, except for the King of Talossa, shall be eligible to be the Seneschál. (54RZ23)

Section 2 The Seneschál shall be selected directly by the Cosâ, and his term shall expire upon the installation of his successor. He shall maintain the confidence of a majority of the Cosâ alone in order to hold the office. (54RZ23)

Section 3 The Seneschál has duties of the State. He may advise the King to dissolve the Cosâ and to appoint and remove members of the Cabinet, and such advice to the King shall not be refused. He may also declare war and write treaties with the approval of the Ziu, expedite the Ziu's consideration of legislation, and issue Prime Dictates. (54RZ23)

Section 4 Prime Dictates (PDs) are public declarations which affect government policy and have the force of law. They take effect upon their countersignature by the King and function as laws for all purposes, with such exceptions and subject to such conditions as the Ziu may enact by statute. Prime Dictates are exempt from all provisions relating unto legislative proposals, but may never be used to amend this Organic Law. (54RZ23)

Section 5 The election of a Seneschál shall be the sole and exclusive business of the first Clark of every newly seated Ziu, but neither a member of the Senäts nor the King may vote on the matter. The Senäts may undertake during such Clark any of their business for which the consent of the Cosâ or the King be not requisite. (54RZ23)

The method of election of a Seneschál shall be Ranked Choice Voting. Each member of the Cosâ shall have as many votes in the election as the seats which he hold in the Cosâ, but shall cast his votes as one bloc and have no divided conscience. The candidates for each such election shall be nominated by each political party which shall have earned representation in the Cosâ at the most recent general election. (54RZ23) (55RZ22)

No member of the Cosâ may abstain in the election of a Seneschál, and shall rank on his ballot at least two distinct preferences, which itself shall be made public. (54RZ23)

Whichever candidate shall have earned a majority of the votes in his election, as according to the method of Ranked Choice Voting, shall be appointed subsequently and forthwith by the King to serve as Seneschál, and the results of the election shall be published at large in the Clark. (54RZ23)

Section 6 The Seneschál shall announce publicly both the members of the incoming Government and the Government's legislative agenda at least before, if not sooner than, the last day on which a member of the Ziu may submit a measure to the second Clark. Failing this, the King shall dissolve the Cosa and call new elections.(54RZ23)(55RZ22)

Section 7 No election for the Seneschál shall occur, except during the first Clark of a newly seated Ziu. (54RZ23)

Section 8 The Seneschál shall appoint a member of the Government to be the Deputy Prime Minister, who shall be known otherwise as the Distáin. The Distáin shall act in place of the Seneschál in case of absence or disability of the latter, and shall become the Seneschál in case of death, removal or resignation. The Ziu may establish by law the procedures and standards in order to determine the absence or disability of the Seneschál, as well as the manner or conditions by which the Distáin shall be appointed. (54RZ23)

Section 9 The King appoints and dismisses members of the Government (Cabinet) on the advice of the Seneschal. The Government consists of the Seneschal, the Distáin, and various other ministers as set by law or appointed as the Seneschal sees fit. (54RZ23)

Section 10 Cabinet Ministers are responsible to the Seneschal, whom they advise and from whom they receive direction, and exercise state power with his consent. (54RZ23)

Section 11 Whenever the Government should lose the confidence of the Cosâ by a formal vote, the same Government shall remain in offce as caretakers until a new Seneschál shall be duly installed. (54RZ23)

Shall be amended to read:
 

Quote

Section 1 The head of the Government is the Prime Minister, who shall be known otherwise as the Seneschal. Any Talossan, except for the King of Talossa, shall be eligible to be the Seneschal. (54RZ23)

Section 2 The Seneschal shall be selected by each newly elected Cosâ. When the King is presented with a petition to appoint a Seneschal, signed by MCs who together hold a majority of seats in the Cosâ as then constituted, the person named in the petition shall be appointed by the King to be the Seneschal. Should no such petition be made by the first day of the first Clark, that Clark shall include a Ranked Choice Vote to select the Seneschal. Each party holding seats in the Cosa may nominate one candidate for this election.

Section 3 The Seneschal has duties of the State. He may advise the King to dissolve the Cosâ and to appoint and remove members of the Cabinet, and such advice to the King shall not be refused. He may also declare war and write treaties with the approval of the Ziu, expedite the Ziu's consideration of legislation, and issue Prime Dictates. (54RZ23)

Section 4 Prime Dictates (PDs) are public declarations which affect government policy and have the force of law. They take effect upon their countersignature by the King and function as laws for all purposes, with such exceptions and subject to such conditions as the Ziu may enact by statute. Prime Dictates are exempt from all provisions relating unto legislative proposals, but may never be used to amend this Organic Law. (54RZ23)

Section 5 The Seneschal shall appoint a member of the Government to be the Deputy Prime Minister, who shall be known otherwise as the Distáin. The Distáin shall act in place of the Seneschal in case of absence or disability of the latter, and shall become the Seneschal in case of death, removal or resignation. The Ziu may establish by law the procedures and standards in order to determine the absence or disability of the Seneschal, as well as the manner or conditions by which the Distain shall be appointed. (54RZ23)

Section 6 If the office of the Seneschal becomes vacant, and there is no Distain, then the most senior Minister (according to the seniority of the Ministries) shall become acting Seneschal until MCs together holding a majority of seats in the Cosa petition the King to name a new Seneschal.

Section 7 The King appoints and dismisses members of the Government (Cabinet) on the advice of the Seneschal. The Government consists of the Seneschal, the Distain, and various other ministers as set by law or appointed as the Seneschal sees fit. (54RZ23)

Section 8 Cabinet Ministers are responsible to the Seneschal, whom they advise and from whom they receive direction, and exercise state power with his consent. (54RZ23)

Section 9 At the expiration of each Cosa, the existing Government shall remain in office as caretakers until a new Seneschal shall be duly installed. (54RZ23)

FURTHERMORE, Article IV.7 is amended to read:

Quote

Section 7 A newly elected Ziu shall convene on the first day of the month after its general election, to coincide with the publication of the first Clark. Its term shall be equal to six Clarks, subject to the provisions elsewhere in this Organic Law. During its last month, the King shall issue a Writ of Dissolution ending its term. Whenever the Cosâ may be dissolved, all its members shall resign. (54RZ23) (53RZ18)