Bills

This is bill id#1096 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

WHEREAS Section B, Article 2 of El Lexhatx is the article concerning the electoral ballot AND

WHEREAS that article is a single block of text AND

WHEREAS this author wants to make a small change in that block of text but can't find a way to insert it AND

WHEREAS a different version of this bill was presented and failed and there are pretty good arguments for a change making me resubmit a new version 

THEREFORE the Ziu resolves to modify Section B, Article 2 of El Lexhatx which currently read as:

To be split into sub-articles as follows:

And then, new article 2.2 is removed as it is no longer applicable and was apparently ephemerous in nature, pending past amendments and is replaced by:

Furthermore, article 2.3 is modified as follow:

This is bill id#1097 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas Zackery David Walker appeared very interested in Talossa, and then mysteriously vanished right before becoming a citizen, and

Whereas this was sad and puzzling, but joyfully appears to have just been a problem with getting online, and

Whereas an act of the Ziu is needed to allow him to finish the last step of the process he just missed getting done,

Therefore the Ziu hereby grants citizenship to Zackery David Walker, and welcomes him to the country.

This is bill id#1098 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas I have noticed a few small errors in the law, and

Whereas we should fix them, and

Whereas these fixes don't actually change anything and so hey let's just do them and sorry about this anyway,

Therefore Lex.D.8.1.2-3, which currently read

8.1.2. A citizen may request information regarding the business of the government's executive offices and the government's cabinet ministries so long as the information being requested does not conflict with D.10.2 or D.10.3.
8.1.3. Leaders of political parties may access some personal contact details as set out in D.10.5.

shall be amended to read

8.1.2. A citizen may request information regarding the business of the government's executive offices and the government's cabinet ministries so long as the information being requested does not conflict with D.8.2 or D.8.3.
8.1.3. Leaders of political parties may access some personal contact details as set out in D.8.5.

Furthermore, Lex.D.8.4.2, which currently reads

8.4.2. The type of information and records described in D.10.4.1. above shall never be passed on to outside agencies for the purposes of data farming or market research. The details may be passed onto non-Talossan law enforcement agencies in the interest of international law enforcement and co-operation.

shall be amended to read

8.4.2. The type of information and records described in D.8.4.1. above shall never be passed on to outside agencies for the purposes of data farming or market research. The details may be passed onto non-Talossan law enforcement agencies in the interest of international law enforcement and co-operation.

Furthermore, Lex.D.8.5.2, which currently reads

8.5.2. The Database shall only be accessible by leaders of parties which have been fully registered with the Chancery and provincial officers, provided the conditions in D.10.5 are met.

shall be amended to read

8.5.2. The Database shall only be accessible by leaders of parties which have been fully registered with the Chancery and provincial officers, provided the conditions in D.8.5 are met.

Furthermore, Lex.D.8.6.1, which currently reads

8.6.1. Provincial officers may have access to part of the electoral database established by D.10.5, provided the following conditions are met:

shall be amended to read

8.6.1. Provincial officers may have access to part of the electoral database established by D.8.5, provided the following conditions are met:

Furthermore, all reference to Lex.C.1.6.2-4 shall be removed from el Lexhatx.

Furthermore, all reference to Lex.C.6-8 shall be removed from el Lexhatx, and the remaining provisions shall be renumbered accordingly.

Furthermore, there shall be a new section 18 in Title H, which shall read as follows

No person shall hold more seats in the Cosa than ten times the total number of seats in the Cosa divided by the number of ballots cast for the Cosa in the most recent General Election, rounded up to the next integer.

This is bill id#1099 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

Whereas the monarchy of Talossa is one of our greatest strengths, and has sustained the nation through many a troubled time, and

Whereas the elected government of Talossa is another of our greatest strengths, and has continually revitalized Talossa with new ideas and talent, and

Whereas private citizens may dispose of their property as they wish and their communications cannot be abridged by the law, as enshrined in the First Covenant of the Organic Law (not to mention the Third, Fourth, Sixth, Eighth, and Thirteenth, which are also involved), and

Whereas public debate of the issues and possible new citizens are necessary for a healthy country, and the Ziu and Government and Corts must be free of any extralegal oversight for debate and immigration to be honest and effective, and

Whereas these four principles are coming into conflict with the current arrangement of Talossa's message board, Wittenberg, and for the good of all we should take the Gordian solution and separate the public and private,

Therefore there shall be a new Title J in el Lexhatx, named "Telecomuna." It shall consist of the following provisions:
1. The Chancery shall be responsible for providing an official internet message board(s) or forum(s) for the express use of Household, Government, or provincial business. The Secretary of State or his delegated representative within the Chancery shall make all reasonable effort to maintain and make available this board(s) for all offices of the Household, Government, or provinces that so request. The Secretary of State shall have ultimate discretion in the question of infrastructure, although he is highly advised to take the wishes of officials into account in his decisionmaking.

2. Each officeholder or head of agency shall be responsible for monitoring any board(s) provided for their use, and reporting any problems or requests to the Chancery as needed.

3. This board(s) shall include the necessary infrastructure to allow the Ziu to fulfill its functions, including proposing, debating, and considering bills and the posing of Terpelaziuns. This board(s) will also provide a place for citizens to register their votes in elections. This board(s) shall be known as "Telecomuna."

Furthermore, the Ziu directs that all references to "Wittenberg" within the following provisions of el Lexhatx shall be changed to "Telecomuna": A.5.4.7, A.15, B.3, C.1.3.2, C.9.4, E.3-7, F.32, and H.2.

Furthermore, the Ziu directs that the 31st section of Title F (F.31) and the second sub-sub-section of the third sub-section of the sixth section of Title A (A.6.3.2) of el Lexhatx be struck from the law and that the titles be accordingly renumbered as necessary.

Furthermore, these changes to the law shall not go into effect until August 1st, 2015/XXXVI. The time between the passage of this law and that date should be used by the Chancery and other agencies to plan, prepare, and set up Telecomuna. The Chancery shall, between the time of the passage of this law and August 1st, 2015/XXXVI, hold a period of public consultation of at least one month, during which it will seek out the opinions of the Talossan public for the design and structure of Telecomuna. Prior to August 1st, 2015/XXXVI, but after the public consultation period, the Chancery shall present a proposed plan for the design and structure of Telecomuna to the Ziu in an official report. The Ziu shall vote to approve or deny the plan. If the Ziu denies the plan, the Chancery shall revise the plan and resubmit it for approval. Telecomuna and the other legislative changes of this bill will not go into effect until after the Ziu has approved the plan.
 

This is bill id#1100 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

WHEREAS the truculent penguins of our southernmost territory have run wild for far too long, and

WHEREAS global warming is really going to town down there, making Antarctica undoubtedly the world's next great spring break location, and

WHEREAS ice, ice, baby, now

THEREFORE, the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa hereby submits the following extremely serious resolutions to the Organic Law for ratification.

RESOLVED, that the second sentence of Article XVII, Section 4 of Organic Law be stricken, removing the exception for Pengöpäts Antarctic Territory.

RESOLVED, that Section 11 of Article XVII of the Organic Law (concerning the administration of the Territory of Pengöpäts) be repealed.

RESOLVED, that Section 13 of Article XVII of the Organic Law be amended to read "No new province shall be constituted after the adoption of this Organic Law unless said proposed province shall contain within it a working constitution with an elected government and a citizenry comprising at least ten persons or penguins."

RESOLVED, that Section 5 of Article II of the Organic Law be amended to read "The capital of the Kingdom is atop Mt. Erni."

This is bill id#1101 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

WHEREAS Talossa has an official team for American football (the Florencia Packers), baseball (the Maricopa Brewers), basketball (the Benito Bucks), and European football/soccer (the Fiôvâ Wave), but

WHEREAS we lack an official hockey team, and

WHEREAS Maritiimi-Maxhestic Province doesn't have an associated sports team, but

WHEREAS Maritiimi-Maxhestic Province does have a sort of nautical feel about it, and

WHEREAS this was actually Iason Taiwos's idea, but he is unable to propose it, and

WHEREAS Talossa thrives on fun stuff like this, and

WHEREAS I don't feel like writing a Péngöpäts Provincification Proclamation Act right now (though I'll probably use that title when I do),

THEREFORE the following section is added to El Lexhatx, Section F:
 

40. Milwaukee Admirals shall be Talossa's Official AHL Team, and it will remain so until such time as the nation is able to field its own hockey team to contest the American teams. The Ziu officially authorises loyal Talossan citizens to refer to the team, heretofore known as the "Milwaukee Admirals," as the "Maritiimi-Maxhestic Admirals."

FURTHERMORE the Ziu thanks Admiral Iason Taiwos for suggesting the idea.

This is bill id#1102 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

The ZIU Resolves to add a new section to El Lexhátx 2.10, concerning the duties and powers of the Ministry of Stuff:
 

The Minister of Stuff may from time to time appoint or dismiss "Social Media Ambassadors", with the power and responsibility to promote Talossa on one or several named website, forum or social media service.

This is bill id#1103 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

WHEREAS, we've needed a Commissioner for some time, and

WHEREAS, it is important the Kingdom's bureaucrats are primed and ready for action, and

WHEREAS such priming requires leadership, and

WHEREAS, after a long process of interview and consideration, the Civil Service Committee has determined that the best candidate for this post is M:sr Txosue Roibeardescu, now

THEREFORE, I, Carlüs Xheraltescù, with the support and counsel of my fellow committee members, do recommend to his Majesty King John that Txosue Roibeardescu be appointed to the post of Commissioner of the Civil Service, and request the necessary approval of a majority of the Ziu.
 

This is bill id#1104 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

WHEREAS a big portion of the election law dates from when people mostly voted in person and when only a small portion of the citizens were online AND

WHEREAS the idea of a computerized voting form never entered the mind of the legislatures AND

WHEREAS in reality, 85% of the votes sent to the Chancery from the 47th Cosa were made using that online form AND

WHEREAS a lot of critic has been made on the fact that there were not drop-downs in the form AND

WHEREAS the law doesn't currently allow said drop-downs since anyone can vote for anything AND

WHEREAS at this moment, ANY Talossan can be elected to the Senate of ANY province, which makes it impossible to restrict the choices AND

WHEREAS a few citizens vote on Wittenberg, forget to vote for the Senate and later fill that vote and this practice isn't 100% solved under law since the Cosa vote and the Senate vote are distinct elections occurring simultaneously AND 

WHEREAS the law also has certain quirks, like being unclear as to who owns seats, the Cosa Member or the Party, leading to the common interpretation that a party can strip all of the seats of one of its Cosa Member, but not the last one AND

WHEREAS certain parties have strict candidate lists which are not currently printed on ballots or enforceable in any way while other parties have very loose rules for seat assignments which the current law restricts and I believe that while any party can decide of any rule they want, it's up to the voters to decide how their vote shall be used AND

WHEREAS that's not even counting stealth parties or party hijacking when a voter votes for an un-registered party and someone else registers it for them AND

WHEREAS the request that the Secretary of State publish the rules no less than 14 days prior to an election causes a problem if the Cosâ is dissolved on the last day of the month a minute before midnight leaving the Secretary of State with less than 24 hours to publish the election rules AND

WHEREAS the law also asks the Chancery to publish the election laws on a specific day when in reality, the election law should be codified by law and not by decree AND

WHEREAS the opposition to changing that article has been "It's good to make a reminder" and while I agree, there are better ways in my opinion to approach this AND

THEREFORE the ziu resolves to:

Amend the Organic law as follows:

Article IV: The Senate

Section 4 which currently Reads:
Except as otherwise provided in the Organic Law, any Talossan who may vote may be elected or appointed to the Senäts for any province. No Senator, even though elected or appointed to the Senäts, may actually vote his seat until he has been a citizen for one year, or served for six months as Secretary of State or Prime Minister, or received an order of knighthood from the King. No person may simultaneouly hold more than one seat in the Senäts.

Is replaced by:

Except as otherwise provided in the Organic Law, any Talossan who may vote may only be elected or appointed to the Senäts for his or her own province. No Senator, even though elected or appointed to the Senäts, may actually vote his seat until he has been a citizen for one year, or served for six months as Secretary of State or Prime Minister, or received an order of knighthood from the King. No person may simultaneously hold more than one seat in the Senäts.

Section 8 which currently Reads:
If a voter returns more than one vote, the first one cast is counted and the others are ignored.

Is replaced by:

If a voter returns more than one vote, the first one cast is counted and the others are ignored. If a voter initially abstains to vote in the Senate, either by not casting a vote when voting for the Cosa or by explicitly Abstaining on the ballot, the voter may, until the Election Deadline, still cast a non-abstaining vote for the Senate.

Article VI: Political Parties

Section 2 which currently reads:
Only "registered" political parties may obtain seats in the Cosâ. Parties which win votes but are not registered may not assume their seats in the Cosâ until they register. A party may register at any time with the Secretary of State as follows: First, the party must have at least one member designated as its "Leader." Second, the leader must provide the Secretary of State with a 50-word (or less) statement of the general aims and views of the party. Third, the Secretary of State may request from all parties a fee, to be set by law, to cover the cost of the election. This fee shall be uniform for all parties.

Is split and amended into multiple sections as follows:

Section 2:

Only "registered" political parties may obtain seats in the Cosâ. Parties which win votes but are not fully registered may not assume their seats in the Cosâ until they are fully registered.

Section 3: 

To be fully registered, a party needs to both file an application to the chancery and pay any fees for registration as set by law. This fee shall be uniform for all parties.

Section 4:

To file an application, the leader of a party needs to submit to the Chancery at least 24 hours prior to Ballot day the following documentation:

• The full party name

• The party initials as defined by law the voters will use to vote

• A 50-words or less statement of the general aims and views of the party

• The name of the party leader(s)

Upon filing an application, the party is "filed" or "pre-registered" and can be printed on the Ballot as one of the choices, regardless of status of payment.

At this moment or at any point before Ballot day, the leader of the party may also submit to the Chancery the following documentation for possible display on the ballot:

• The URL of a party platform

• A candidate list for seats

Article VII: Election to the Cosâ

Section 5 which currently reads:
The Secretary of State must make public the exact procedure by which he will comply with 7.4, no less than fourteen days before the Balloting Day.

Is replaced by:

The Secretary of State must make public the exact procedure by which he will comply with 7.4, as soon as possible after Cosa dissolution. 

Section 9 is repealed.

Article VIII: Composition of the Cosâ

Section 3 which currently reads:
Each party shall assign its seats to such individuals as it sees fit, provided that each such individual is eligible to serve in the Cosa under this article and is assigned a whole number of seats. The Ziu may by law establish a maximum number of seats that any one Member of the Cosa may hold by law, but the minimum number of Members of the Cosa shall be no less than the number of Senators, and the same limit shall apply to all Members of the Cosa, and any changes to the limit shall take effect no earlier than the distribution of seats after the next General Election.

Is replaced by:
Each party shall assign its seats to such individuals as it sees fit, provided that each such individuals are eligible to serve in the Cosa under this article and is assigned a whole number of seats. 

As new Section 4 is added, which reads:
The Ziu may by law establish a maximum number of seats that any one Member of the Cosa may hold by law, but the minimum number of Members of the Cosa shall be no less than the number of Senators, and the same limit shall apply to all Members of the Cosa, and any changes to the limit shall take effect no earlier than the distribution of seats after the next General Election.

The former Section 4 of the Organic Law which currently reads:
Each person holding one or more seats is a representative known as a "Member of the Cosa" (MC). MCs may not be removed from office except by a two-thirds vote by the Cosâ and approval by the King. An MC vacates his seats if he fails to vote on two consecutive Clarks, or if he resigns from office or dies. Any seats left unassigned at the end of the first Clark of the government are considered vacant.

Is replaced by this new Section 5:
Each person holding one or more seats is a representative known as a "Member of the Cosa" (MC). MCs may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote by the Cosâ and approval by the King. A MC vacates his seats if he fails to vote on two consecutive Clarks, or if he resigns from office or dies. Any seats left unassigned at the end of the first Clark of the government are considered vacant

A new section 6 is added which reads:

Before the publication of a Clark, each party may modify the list of Cosa Members representing it, including changing the number of seats for each Cosa member, adding new Cosa Members and even removing existing Cosa members, provided the following conditions are met:

6.1: Seats cannot be removed from a Cosa Member which was listed on candidate list for that party on the previous ballot without his or her consent
6.2: Notwithstanding article 6.1, seats can be removed equally from all Cosa members of a party to make room for a new Cosa member, provided that all Cosa members who loses seats using this method keep at least one
6.3: Notwithstanding article 6.1, A Cosa member listed on the candidate list on the previous ballot who resigns from his or her party may be asked to resign his or her seats if he or she refuses to respect the official party line of his or her former party on bills not authored by that Cosa Member

The former Section 5 which reads:

Each MC will represent, for ceremonial purposes, a particular geographical "constituency." The exact procedure will be determined by law.

Is renumbered Section 7 and reads:
Each MC can represent, for ceremonial purposes, a particular geographical "constituency." The exact procedure will be determined by law.

The former Section 6 is renumbered Section 8 and kept intact.

Article IX: The Secretary of State, the Hopper, and the Clark 

Section 2 which currently reads:
Any Member of the Cosâ, or Senator, or the King, shall have the right to submit legislative proposals and bills to the Secretary of State for consideration by the Ziu according to the procedures specified in this article. 

Is replaced by:

Any Member of the Cosâ, or Senator, or the King, shall have the right to submit legislative proposals and bills to the Secretary of State in "The Clark" for consideration by the Ziu according to the procedures specified in this article. Only citizens who reasonably believes he will qualify to submit legislative proposals and bills in the next "Clark" can submit proposals to "The Hopper".

Section 5 is corrected to that the 6th word (the single letter t) is removed from the text.

Section 13 which currently reads:
Notwithstanding Sections 2 and 5 of this Article, the Ziu may make laws regulating the number of bills a Member of the Cosâ or a Senator may submit for one Clark without the need to amend the Organic Law.

Is replaced by:
Notwithstanding Sections 2 and 6 of this Article, the Ziu may make laws regulating the number of bills a Member of the Cosâ or a Senator may submit for one Clark without the need to amend the Organic Law.

Article XIII: Duration of the Cosâ and the Government

Section 1 which currently reads:

Duration of the Cosâ. The Cosâ convenes two weeks after general elections, on the first day of the month, to coincide with the publication of the first Clark. Its term is roughly six months, each month coinciding with a Clark. During its last month the King shall issue a Writ of Dissolution ending its term. At the time the Cosâ is dissolved, all its members shall resign, but any Members holding positions in the Government may remain in those positions till the outcome of the election is resolved.

Is replaced with:

Duration of the Cosâ. The Cosâ convenes on the first day of the month after general elections, to coincide with the publication of the first Clark. Its term is roughly six months, each month coinciding with a Clark. During its last month the King shall issue a Writ of Dissolution ending its term. At the time the Cosâ is dissolved, all its members shall resign, but any Members holding positions in the Government may remain in those positions till the outcome of the election is resolved.

This is bill id#1105 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

The Ziu resolves to amend the Organic Law to add a new section to the end of Article XVII: Territorial Subdivisions of the Organic Law:
 

No person shall be at the same time Cunstavál of one province and the leader of the provincial government of another province.

This is bill id#1106 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

The Ziu resolves to amend the Organic Law to add add a new section to the end of Article XVII: Territorial Subdivisions of the Organic Law:
 

In the case of a breakdown of Constitutional order in a province, leading to vacancies in vital executive or administrative roles of that Province, the Ziu may legislate to temporarily fill these vacancies in a manner which minimally overrules the Province's constitution and laws. These temporary executives or administrators shall hold office until they can be replaced in accordance with the province's Constitution and laws.

This is bill id#1107 (this information has no legal importance and is technical in nature.

Hopper Thread

The Ziu resolves to amend the Organic Law to add a new sentence to the end of Article XVII, section 9, on provincial Cunstaváis: