Bills

This is bill id#1442 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas, presently the King, Seneschal, and Secretary of State can request an advisory opinion from the Cort pü Inalt, and

Whereas, the Ziu may also want to request an advisory opinion ahead of its considerations.

Therefore, be it enacted by the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa that Article VIII, Section which currently reads as:

Article VIII, Section 6

Until such time as inferior corts are established, a Judge may sit as a nisi prius cort in all civil and criminal matters.

No decision or order issued by an inferior cort or nisi prius cort shall bind a coordinate cort.

The decisions or orders of the Cort pü Inalt shall bind all lower corts according to the doctrine of stare decisis provided that that the panel was composed of no less than three Judges after necessary recusal. The Cort pü Inalt may, as it deems appropriate, issue decisions or orders that are non-binding provided that it explicitly states that intention in the decision or order.

A nisi prius cort or an inferior cort deviating from binding precedent must state so with clarity and refer the matter for appellate review.

Notwithstanding any contrary proscription, the King, the Secretary of State, or the Senechal may refer an issue to the Cort pü Inalt for an advisory opinion provided that any such panel reviewing the position is composed of no less than three Judges after any necessary recusal, there lacks a live case or controversy that would otherwise determine the issue, and there is a reasonably need for resolution of the question.

A matter arising under the Covenants of Rights and Freedoms is appealable as of right to the Cort pü Inalt. In all other instances, the Cort pü Inalt may not be compelled to exercise its appellate authority. However, when declining to do so, the Cort pü Inalt must issue an order declaring such, and no such declaration shall be deemed as the Cort pü Inalt adopting or setting as binding precedent the appealed from decision or order.

The Cort pü Inalt, and any other cort existing under this article, shall interpret all matters through the lens of the Covenants of Rights and Freedoms.

Any Judge that is a named party in a matter shall recuse himself or herself from hearing any and all parts of the matter.

Is amended to read as follows:

Article VIII, Section 6
 

Until such time as inferior corts are established, a Judge may sit as a nisi prius cort in all civil and criminal matters.

No decision or order issued by an inferior cort or nisi prius cort shall bind a coordinate cort.

The decisions or orders of the Cort pü Inalt shall bind all lower corts according to the doctrine of stare decisis provided that that the panel was composed of no less than three Judges after necessary recusal. The Cort pü Inalt may, as it deems appropriate, issue decisions or orders that are non-binding provided that it explicitly states that intention in the decision or order.

A nisi prius cort or an inferior cort deviating from binding precedent must state so with clarity and refer the matter for appellate review.

Notwithstanding any contrary proscription, the King, the Secretary of State, the Senechal, the Avocat-Xheneral, or Ziu members representing at least one-third of seats in either the Cosa and/or Senate[/b] may refer an issue to the Cort pü Inalt for an advisory opinion provided that any such panel reviewing the position is composed of no less than three Judges after any necessary recusal, there lacks a live case or controversy that would otherwise determine the issue, and there is a reasonably need for resolution of the question.

A matter arising under the Covenants of Rights and Freedoms is appealable as of right to the Cort pü Inalt. In all other instances, the Cort pü Inalt may not be compelled to exercise its appellate authority. However, when declining to do so, the Cort pü Inalt must issue an order declaring such, and no such declaration shall be deemed as the Cort pü Inalt adopting or setting as binding precedent the appealed from decision or order.

The Cort pü Inalt, and any other cort existing under this article, shall interpret all matters through the lens of the Covenants of Rights and Freedoms.

Any Judge that is a named party in a matter shall recuse himself or herself from hearing any and all parts of the matter.

This is bill id#1443 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas, under current statute both the Mençéi and Túischac'h can appoint temporary replacements, and

Whereas, under current statute this option is not yet available to the Avocat-Xheneral, and

Whereas, recent circumstances have highlighted the need for the Avocat-Xheneral to have this option as well.

Therefore, be it enacted by the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa, that El Lexhatx Title H 6.5.3.1 which currently reads as:
 

6.5.3.1. The Mençéi and the Túischac'h may at any time appoint and dismiss one Senator and one Membreu dal Cosă, respectively, to serve as a member of the CRL in their place.

Is amended, to read as follows:
 

6.5.3.1. The Mençéi, Túischac'h, and Avocat-Xheneral may at any time appoint and dismiss one Senator or one Membreu dal Cosă, to serve as a member of the CRL in their place.

This is bill id#1444 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas, the BHAID has over the past few terms made an effort to make small but meaningful contributions demonstrating the generosity and caring of the Talossan people, and

Whereas, Effective altruism (often abbreviated EA) is a contemporary philosophical and social movement advocating "the use of evidence and reason to figure out how to benefit others as much as possible, and taking action on that basis," and

Whereas, Effective Altruism Funds (EA Funds) is a platform for moving money to particularly cost-effective and altruistically impactful projects. The current funds focus on Improving the lives of people living in extreme poverty and improving the lives of non-human animals, and

Whereas, the EA Funds Global Health and Development Fund aims to support funding opportunities that improve the health or economic empowerment of people around the world as effectively as possible.

Therefore, the Ziu authorises the Bureau of Humanitarian Aid and International Development to make a one-time contribution of $50 (USD), to the EA Funds Global Health & Development Fund via the charity Giving What We Can at https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/en-US/funds/effective-altruism-funds

This is bill id#1445 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas, during the previous Cosa term the Government passed the Second Talossan Government Transparency Act, and

Whereas, this Act automated the transferral of Witt-based Cabinet discussions to the Archivist with them being available to the public seven-years post-term, and

Whereas, the discussions of the Standing Committee on Organic Law, as a body composed of public officials discussing matters of national import, may also be ripe for a transparent approach and be of historical interest.

Therefore, be it enacted by the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa, that El Lex D 8.9.1 which currently reads as:
 

8.9.1 All internal government communications on Government-owned fora shall be transmitted to the Royal Archives as soon as feasibly possible after the conclusion of that Government's term of office.

is amended to read as follows:
 

8.9.1 All internal government communications on Government-owned fora, including those of cabinet proceedings, standing committees, or royal commissions shall be transmitted to the Royal Archives as soon as feasibly possible after the conclusion of that Government's term of office.

This is bill id#1446 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas, the US state of Ohio was recently sent back to its catchment home of Benito, and

Whereas, this had the unfortunate effect of reducing the catchment area of the Kingdom's least populated province, and

Whereas, this also occurred without Vuodean consultation which to paraphase Douglas Adams 'made a lot of Vuodeans very angry and might be regarded as a bad move."

THEREFORE, be it enacted by the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa, that Article 7.6 of Title E of El Lexhatx, which reads:

7.6. VUODE PROVINCE. Talossan citizens living in the following areas shall be assigned to Vuode Province: the City of Milwaukee (WI) and all suburbs of Milwaukee, which lie to the north and east of the City of Milwaukee; and the U.S. states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; and the Mexican States of Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Sinaloa, San Luis Potosi, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Queretero, and Zacatecas. Internationally, the nations of Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.

is amended by inserting "Minnesota," after "Michigan," to read:

7.6. VUODE PROVINCE. Talossan citizens living in the following areas shall be assigned to Vuode Province: the City of Milwaukee (WI) and all suburbs of Milwaukee, which lie to the north and east of the City of Milwaukee; and the U.S. states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; and the Mexican States of Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Sinaloa, San Luis Potosi, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Queretero, and Zacatecas. Internationally, the nations of Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.

FURTHERMORE, Article 7.8 of Title E of El Lexhatx, which reads:

7.8. FLORENCIA PROVINCE. Talossan citizens living in the following areas shall be assigned to Florencia Province: the Wisconsin counties of Ashland, Bayfield, Brown, Burnett, Douglas, Florence, Forest, Iron, Lincoln, Langlade, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Shawano, Taylor, Vilas, and Washburn; and the U.S. states and territories of Alaska, American Samoa, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Northern Marianas Islands, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming; and the Canadian provinces and territories of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territory, Nunavut, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Yukon Territory. Internationally, the nations of Brunei, Bouganville, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, North Korea, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Tonga, Vanuatu.

is amended by removing the word "Minnesota," to read:

7.8. FLORENCIA PROVINCE. Talossan citizens living in the following areas shall be assigned to Florencia Province: the Wisconsin counties of Ashland, Bayfield, Brown, Burnett, Douglas, Florence, Forest, Iron, Lincoln, Langlade, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Shawano, Taylor, Vilas, and Washburn; and the U.S. states and territories of Alaska, American Samoa, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Northern Marianas Islands, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming; and the Canadian provinces and territories of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territory, Nunavut, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Yukon Territory. Internationally, the nations of Brunei, Bouganville, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, North Korea, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Tonga, Vanuatu.

This is bill id#1447 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

WHEREAS the Organic Law directs that each government submit a budget by the second Clark of their Cosa term, and better late than never,

PART A: Financial Report

Please note that the amounts in this report use the traditional ¤ 60 bence to the louis ℓ see: https://wiki.talossa.com/Currency rounded up from US$ divided by 1.5

The current funds of the Kingdom consist of a checking account, a savings account, and a Paypal account.  On report from the Burgermeister of Inland Revenue as of 30 November 2023, these accounts stand at the following balances:
 

• Checking:  31¤04 (US$46.60)
• Savings:  806¤41 (US$1,210.04)
• PayPal:    326¤15 (US$489.38) 

Total:           ℓ1,164 (US$1,746.02)

Note that as of 13 December 2023 various additional reporting regulations were implemented on PayPal which provide impetus towards transition for the account from a named individual to a not-for-profit association tax identity.

Since the last legal Financial Report in 30 Mar 2023, on report from the Burgermeister of Inland Revenue the following changes to account balances have occurred as of 30 November 2023:

• Checking: unchanged
• Savings:   + 21¤01 (US$31.54)
• PayPal:   + 142¤37 (US$213.94)

Total :        + 163¤39 (US$245.48)

The following are the expenditures which occurred between 30 Mar 2023 and 30 November 2023:

• There was an expenditure of US$54.27 to NameSilo which was balanced by an equal refund in a first attempt to relocate the domain listings.  In this time period there were no charges by an ISP
• There was an expense of US$50 to The Voices Project for Syria Earthquake Relief

The following are the revenues which were booked between 30 Mar 2023 and 30 November 2023:

• Income from contributions (altruistic and office fees) net US$168.04 after PayPal fees
• Income from sales of coin and stamps net US$76.16 after PayPal fees (The Burgermeister has donated shipping and postage for coin and stamp sales.)
• Income from interest US$31.54
• Other income under investigation US$19.74

The amount of current coinage and stamps in circulation and in reserve is currently unknown as there was a lack of tracking information provided by the previous Burgermeister.  The stamps on hand remain uncounted due to some that were damaged in shipment (they are still plentiful on the spool) and the number of coins on hand total 189. 

PART B: Budget

THEREFORE, His Majesty's Government hereby submits to the Ziu a request for the appropriation of funds from the Royal Treasury totaling ℓ250 (US$375.00) for the specific purposes and subject to restrictions as outlined herein:

Ministrà dal Cúltură
•    Culture grants 66¤40 (US$100.00)
This amount will be set aside for fulfillment of any Culture Initiative Support Fund grants.  These grants are intended to help spur and reward activity from our citizens, providing them with small amounts to support language, journalism, or other cultural plans.  In previous years, most of this money has gone unspent.

Ministrà dal Tec'hnoloxhà
•    Speculative Webhosting costs ℓ150 ($225.00 USD)
As the Ministreu dal Tec'hnoloxhà explores different options in conjunction with Permanent Secretary da Schir, the Government is erring on the cautious side and appropriating sufficient funds to meet a variety of needs including new domain registry and potential ISP fees.

Ministrà dels Afaes Utphätseschti
•    BHAID 33¤20 ($50 USD)
The Bureau for Humanitarian Aid and International Development will continue its support for important causes worldwide.

FURTHERMORE, notwithstanding the above allocations, no funds shall be disbursed without a notice of disbursement having first been transmitted to the Ziu at least fourteen days prior to the disbursement, except that disbursements solely for the purpose of postage may be made with no less than 24 hours notice. Notices shall contain details of the purchase and a cost estimate for the purchase, or the total amount paid if seeking funds for reimbursement. Copies of receipts and/or invoices will be provided upon request to Members of the Ziu.

FURTHERMORE, any funds allocated by this section shall be retained in the central fund by the Burgermeister of Inland Revenue until such time as they are disbursed. Funds not disbursed prior to the end of the government term shall remain in the central fund.

PART C: Investment Policy

FURTHERMORE, His Majesty's Government hereby directs the Burgermeister of Inland Revenue to invest all held funds above 66¤40 (US$100.00) into a high-interest savings account unless or until otherwise directed or advised by act of the Ziu.

PART D: Coinage and Postage

FURTHERMORE, His Majesty's Government has no plans to coin monies or print postage during this term, as supplies remain sufficient to sustain both markets.

PART E: Donations Target

FURTHERMORE, His Majesty's Government proposes a voluntary fundraising goal of 133¤20 (US$200) over the course of this term.

This is bill id#1448 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas, there are currently just two members of the Privy Council (Sabôr), and

Whereas, it is conceivable that a slightly larger Sabôr might lead to more broad-based advice to the Monarch, and

Whereas, adding additional ex-officio members of the Privy Council is one way to expand the Sabôr.

Therefore BE IT ENACTED that El Lexhatx L.7, which currently reads:
 

7. Among the first acts of his reign the King shall name a Privy Council (Sabôr, in Talossan) consisting of several Privy Councillors (called Guaïrs in Talossan) with whom he shall consult whenever possible on all matters of grave importance to the Kingdom, and whose duty shall be to offer the King the benefit of their individual and collective wisdom and advice. The King shall take care to include in this council those citizens with the longest and deepest connections to the ongoing historical life of the Kingdom, in particular those who are personally familiar with the homeland itself. Should at any time they deem it wise or necessary to do so, Privy Councillors, acting alone or in concert with fellow councillors, may publicly issue a "Letter to the King" about any matter of grave importance to the Kingdom. The Privy Councillors shall serve at the pleasure of the King. Privy Councillors shall be entitled to add the honorific initials "GST" to their signatures, for "Guaïr del Sabôr Talossán."

shall be amended with the addition of the following paragraph:
 

The Seneschál and the Senior Justice of the Cort pü Inalt shall be Guaïrs ex officio.

This is bill id#1449 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas, it has come to the attention of learned officials that a certain section of Title D may need clarification, and

Whereas, when it concerns the ability of the Seneschal do any and all cabinet jobs it may indeed be prudent.

Therefore, be it enacted by the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa, that El Lexhatx Title D 2.1 which currently reads as:
 

D2.1. The Seneschal (in english, Prime Minister), heading the Prüma Ministrà (in english, Prime Ministry), is responsible for the overall operation and performance of the government, and shall perform all duties assigned to his office by Organic Law. All other Cabinet officers are appointed by the Seneschal, serve at his pleasure, are responsible to him, and derive their powers from him. Accordingly, anything that any Minister can do (officially), the Seneschal may (if he desires) do himself.

is amended to read as follows:
 

2.1. The Seneschal (in english, Prime Minister), heading the Prüma Ministrà (in english, Prime Ministry), is responsible for the overall operation and performance of the government, and shall perform all duties assigned to his office by Organic Law. All other Cabinet officers are appointed by the Seneschal, serve at his pleasure, are responsible to him, and derive their powers from him. The Seneschal may perform any official act on behalf of his ministers. The Seneschal may also at any time designate a deputy minister to be Acting Minister, until the Seneschal or the Minister for whom they are acting publicly declare otherwise, or the Minister for whom they are acting is dismissed.

This is bill id#1450 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas, Talossans around the world express their heartbreak and outrage at the death of another Russian democracy activist, Alexei Navalny, and

Whereas, we reiterate our support and solidarity with those in Russia, under threat to their liberty and their lives, as they continue the struggle for an open and free society, and

Whereas, we implore the international community to redouble its efforts to bring Vladimir Putin and his cronies to justice for their crimes against their people and our common humanity.

Therefore, be it resolved that it is the Sense of the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa, to publicly express the above-mentioned sentiments on behalf of the people of the realm and its agreement with these words of Alexei Navalny: "Listen, I've got something very obvious to tell you. You're not allowed to give up. If they decide to kill me, it means we are incredibly strong."