There's been some discussion about best practices for writing a bill, and that makes sense.  We should try to have a rough consensus.  On the last Witt, I had a guide which was used for a long time.  But a posted list of suggested guidelines might be better than the pamphlet we previously used.

Currently, my suggested list would include these principles:

• A bill should include an italicized list of reasons for its passage and any necessary context, presented as a list of statements and with each such statement beginning with "WHEREAS"
• A bill should present its proposed changes clearly.  Each proposed change should begin with a bolded word: "THEREFORE" for the first change, and "FURTHERMORE" for each change after that.
• The bill should say exactly what the Ziu would be doing if the bill was passed.  Typically this entails amending el Lexhatx or the Organic Law, and so the specific location of the change should be stated.
• If existing law is being altered, the current text should be included with the bill, for easy comparison with the proposed changes.
• The Ziu may only make changes which fall within its ennumerated powers, found at Org.VII.3.
• Laws may mandate specific actions, bestow specific powers, or authorize optional actions.
• It is permissible, but generally discouraged, to add recommendations or advice in the law.  This should be done only when deemed necessary for effective implementation of other provisions.
• The use of the quoting function can be helpful to set out blocks of text in a readable way.

An example bill might look like this:

WHEREAS the sandwich is the ideal food, and

WHEREAS it is agreed by all that we need to endorse it,

THEREFORE the whatever section of el Lexhatx is modified to include this additional provision:

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Are you a Talossan patriot with cash in your pocket?  Do you want to invest in Talossan louise or stamps, earning millions of dollars in the process (assuming a very specific and unlikely future)?  Are you just a fan of bold text and want to show your appreciation?  Then you need to enter the Patriot Points League for the third season and compete for ultimate victory!

That's right, Patriot Points are back!  They're a way to recognize those who have contributed to our country in a very particular, monetary sense.  For every $1 USD that you donate to the Kingdom of Talossa, you will earn one Patriot Point -- and you'll go on the leaderboard!  There will be prizes for top competitors, and you'll get the satisfaction of knowing you helped sustain your small, beloved nation.

To participate, donate funds (probably using the "contribute" button on our website) or purchase coins or stamps.  Then just send me a private message to let me know that you'd like to be included in the Patriot Points program, and we'll start keeping track of your donations.  C'e amaçind!  The season ends after the last Clark -- get on in there and mix it up!

Terms and conditions apply: Points may not be carried over from one season to the next.  Points may not be redeemed once the season is over.  Always maintain direct view of SCP-173. All praise to Ry'leh.

Here are some resources that you might find useful.  Laypeople should be aware that it's possible to make all sorts of completely illegal and ugly achievements, but such will not be approved by the Coletx.

-NRH

Heraldicon (free) - Currently, this site is the best option.  It has a ton of art in different styles, and you can also upload any SVG (like from the free Noun Project) to add more.  It is extremely customizable and allows fine adjustments, and it can create achievements from a provided blazon (or vice-versa). The only downside is that there's a bit of a learning curve.

DrawShield.net (free) - This site has an excellent selection of art and uses proper blazons, but sometimes it requires a lot of fiddling with the specialized language to make something look right.  It's an old standby, though, and great for a quick mockup.

MyBlazon (free) - Another site, but with poor design tools, a limited art range, and clunky outcomes.  Only useful if you want a smooth integration with product ordering, but probably not even for that.

Heraldry Studio ($19.99) - This program works decently well and has a good amount of included art in traditional styles, but it's also surprisingly limited considering how long it's been in development and the overall price.

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


While the government has been working hard at back-end technical fixes to the site, including restoring the email services and implementing daily backups, we have also been working on the front-end presentation on our website.  Most of the site is outdated or broken, and a decision was made to triage many pages.  While this made sense at the time, we are working to improve the situation.  Below is a running list of fixes and improvements.

• Creation of Infotecă, an online information portal about Wittenberg, the Royal Treasury, and our immigration.
• Fixed the social media plugins that were broken.
• Revised the top menu for ease of access and presentation.
• Restored the wiki embed plugin.

I asked the new Google AI, Bard, about Talossa.

Quote from: MeWhat is Talossa?

Quote from: BardI am an LLM trained to respond in a subset of languages at this time, so I can't assist you with that. Please refer to the Bard Help Center for the current list of supported languages.

So at first, it just guesses that's the name of a language or a word in a language.  Huh.  Okay, let's get more specific.

Quote from: MeWhat is the Kingdom of Talossa?  Search the Internet for answers if necessary.

Quote from: BardThe Kingdom of Talossa is a micronation founded in 1979 by Robert Ben Madison. It is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The kingdom has a population of about 100 people and a land area of 5.019 square miles. Talossa has its own flag, anthem, and currency. The official language of Talossa is Talossan, which is a fictional language created by Madison.

Talossa is a constitutional monarchy with a parliament called the Ziu. The current king of Talossa is King Robert Ben Madison I. The kingdom is a member of the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee.

Talossa is a popular tourist destination, and visitors can tour the kingdom's capital city of Abbavilla. Abbavilla is a replica of a medieval city, and it is home to several museums and shops. Visitors can also enjoy the kingdom's many parks and gardens.

Talossa is a unique and fascinating place, and it is a great place to learn about micronations and fictional languages.

It starts off very correctly, but then starts to go a little sideways!  I love the idea that Abbavilla is a replica medieval city... I wonder if stuff like the College of Arms influenced it to create this notion?  I'll ask.

Quote from: MeWhy do you think Abbavilla is a replica of a medieval city?

Quote from: BardAbbavilla is a replica of a medieval city because it was designed to look like one. The city was founded in the 1980s by a group of people who wanted to create a living history museum. They used old maps and historical documents to create a city that would be as accurate as possible to the medieval period.

Abbavilla is located in a valley surrounded by mountains. The city is divided into several districts, each with its own unique character. The main district is the Old Town, which is home to the city's cathedral, castle, and other important buildings. The New Town is a more modern district with shops, restaurants, and hotels.

Abbavilla is a popular tourist destination. Visitors can explore the city's streets, visit its museums, and learn about its history. The city also hosts a number of festivals and events throughout the year.

Here are some of the reasons why Abbavilla is a replica of a medieval city:

The city's architecture is inspired by medieval buildings.
The city's streets are narrow and winding, like those of a medieval city.
The city's residents dress in medieval costumes.
The city's festivals and events are based on medieval traditions.

Uh.  wut

Quote from: MeWho is the current king of Talossa?

Quote from: BardThe current king of Talossa is King John I of the House of Lupul. He ascended to the throne on 14 March 2007, after an interregnum following the abdication of the minor King Louis.

Well, it's reading the wiki!  What else is it reading?

Quote from: MeCan you tell me which sources of information you used to answer my questions about Talossa?

Quote from: BardI used the following sources of information to answer your questions about Talossa:

The Wikipedia article about Talossa
The Talossan website
The book "The Talossan Kingdom" by Robert Ben Madison
The Talossan national census
The Talossan government website
The Talossan embassy website
I also used my knowledge of the world and my ability to process information from the real world through Google Search to answer your questions.

Quote from: MeI don't think the book "The Talossan Kingdom" is a real book.

Quote from: BardYou are correct again. The Talossan Kingdom is a fictional micronation created by David Weishampel. It is not a real book.

...huh.  Okay, well, now I just don't know.

Goals with this bill:

• To put some teeth behind some of the reporting requirements, so they can't be ignored.
• Change things so that an outgoing government has to report on expenditures they've done (just a quick report linking to disbursements under a copy-and-pasted budget).
• Change what's reported.

Would you guys maybe like any upcoming events promoted on Talossan social media? The new government has a policy of trying to actively support events and cultural efforts, and so if there's anything happening in the future, please let us know!

---

Updated: 4 Sep 2023

4 Mar
Question to Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2191.0
WITHDRAWN

4 Mar
Two questions to Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2188.0
ANSWERED

4 Mar
Question to Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2190.0
ANSWERED

4 Mar
Three questions to MinCult/MinSTUFF, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2187.0
ANSWERED

4 Mar
Five questions to MinCult/MinSTUFF, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2186.0
ANSWERED

8 Mar
Supplemental question to MinCult/MinSTUFF, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2187.0
ANSWERED

8 Mar
Supplemental question to MinCult/MinSTUF, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2186.0
ANSWERED

10 Mar
Two questions to MinTech, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2210.0
ANSWERED

12 Mar
Question to MinCult/MinSTUFF, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2219.0
ANSWERED

13 Mar
Question to MinCult/MinSTUFF, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2223.0
ANSWERED

13 Mar
Supplemental question to MinCult/MinSTUFF, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2186.msg18466#msg18466
ANSWERED

14 Mar
Two questions to Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2229.0
ANSWERED

18 Mar
Six questions to MinFor/MinDef, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2243.0
ANSWERED

18 Mar
Five questions to MinTech, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2244.0
ANSWERED

18 Mar
Supplemental question to MinTech, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2244.msg18441#msg18441
ANSWERED

18 Mar
Supplemental question to MinCult/MinSTUFF, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2219.msg18434#msg18434
ANSWERED

20 Mar
Supplemental question to Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2229.msg18499#msg18499
ANSWERED

20 Mar
Supplemental question (repeat) to Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2229.msg18527#msg18527
ANSWERED

21 Mar
Supplemental question (sort of?) to Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2229.msg18543#msg18543
ANSWERED

24 Mar
Supplemental question to MinFor/MinDef, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2243.msg18699#msg18699
ANSWERED

28 Mar
Four supplemental questions to MinTech, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2244.msg18782#msg18782
ANSWERED

4 Apr
Four questions to the Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2299.msg18990#msg18990
ANSWERED

4 Apr
Seven questions to the Distain/MinFin/A-X, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2300.msg18993#msg18993
ANSWERED

4 Apr
Three questions to the Seneschal/MinImm (or the Distain/MinFor/A-X, or someone else), https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2301.msg18994#msg18994
REJECTED BY TUI

4 Apr
Three questions to the Seneschal/MinImm (or the Distain/MinFor/A-X, or someone else), https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2302.msg18995#msg18995
REJECTED BY TUI

4 Apr
Five questions to the Seneschal/MinImm (or the Distain/MinFor/A-X, or someone else), https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2303.msg18996#msg18996
REJECTED BY TUI

10 Apr
One question to the MinDef/Minfor, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2315.0
ANSWERED

11 Apr
"Supplemental question" (from a different MZ), https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2299.msg19145#msg19145
ANSWERED

11 Apr
Eleven supplemental questions to the MinTech, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2244.msg19146#msg19146
ANSWERED

11 Apr
Six questions to the Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2320.msg19148#msg19148
ANSWERED

11 Apr
Three questions to the MinFor/MinDef, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2321.msg19149#msg19149
ANSWERED

11 Apr
"Supplemental question" to the Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2299.msg19158#msg19158
ANSWERED

11 Apr
Supplemental question to the MinFor/MinDef, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2315.msg19159#msg19159
ANSWERED

18 Apr
Three supplemental questions to the Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2320.msg19339#msg19339
ANSWERED

18 Apr
Supplemental question to the MinFor/MinDef, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2321.msg19355#msg19355
ANSWERED

19 Apr
Four questions to the MinTech, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2345.0
ANSWERED

20 Apr
Question to the Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2348.0
ANSWERED

3 Jul
Question to the Seneschal/MinImm, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2557.0
ANSWERED

23 Jul
Four questions to the MinTech, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2583.0
ANSWERED

25 Jul
Two supplementary questions to the MinTech, https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2583.msg21546#msg21546
ANSWERED

To commemorate today, the holiday of Maritiimi-Maxhestic Istuporaziua, I hereby act as Grand General Secretary to convene this 19th convocation of the Provincial Assembly of Maritiimi-Maxhestic.  The Assembly is constituted of those citizens who acted to claim their seats during the latest assembly call, and closes with the end of the national balloting (CBLA.C.1).

The Assemblypersons for this term shall be as follows, listed in alphabetical order:

• Alexandreu Davinescu
• Ian Plätschisch

With the new convocation, my term as GGS ends.  I wish to suggest the following initial agenda, however.

1. Nominations for Grand General Secretary.
2. GGS vote.
3. Merger Proposal

I have been having a hard time with these tasks, and I haven't gotten any help by asking with PMs, so hopefully crowdsourcing this will help:

• Since the Tidying Up Our Finances Act, passed in 2020, it's been required for governments to submit financial reports at the start of every Cosa, when doing this budgets.  I have been able to find budget bills easily enough, but I haven't found any recent financial reports from past Ministreux dal Finançù (is that plural right?).  I know circumstances got rough there for understandable personal reasons, and so the report for the 56th didn't get done and no need to worry about it, so let's not embarrass anyone.  but: does anyone know where I can find anything like this? Searching the forum has not helped.
• I've been also trying to find notices of expenditures by past governments, which are required by law to be published before money is disbursed.  They've been labeled "disbursement notices" in the past.  I'd really like to get a handle on how much money we've ended up spending, and so could anyone link me to these?  I've only found a few, but I know I have seen others in the past.  Again, not trying to embarrass anyone, but we really need to start keeping better records, and now's a good time to start.

@Ian Plätschisch , @Miestră Schivă, UrN , or anyone else who can help, I'd love a hand with this.

What I have so far for disbursements:
https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=1529.0  (not a disbursement notice, but mention of spending)
https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=1914.0 (not a disbursement notice, but mention of spending)
https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=337.msg2028#msg2028
https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=950.msg7720#msg7720

WHEREAS the Organic Law directs that each government submit a budget by the second Clark of their Cosa term,

PART A: Financial Report

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 March 2023, these accounts stand at the following balances:
•  Checking: 31¤4 ($46.60 USD)
•  Savings: 785¤40 ($1,178.50 USD)
•  Paypal: 183¤38 ($275.44 USD)
       Total: 1000¤22 ($1500.54 USD)

There was no previous Financial Report for the previous Cosa term, but on report from the Burgermeister of Inland Revenue, the following are the expenditures from the last budget which occurred between 21 May 2022 and 30 Mar 2023:
•  -40¤34 ($60.85 USD)    Webhosting costs
•  -18¤12 ($27.30 USD)    Webhosting costs
•  -35¤23 ($53.07 USD)    Google ads

Since the last legal Financial Report in February of 2020, on report from the Burgermeister of Inland Revue the following changes to account balances have occurred as of 30 Mar 2023:
•  Checking:+4¤49 ($7.23 USD)
•  Savings:+76¤38 ($114.96 USD)
•  Paypal:+139¤32 ($209.29 USD)

The amount of current coinage and stamps in circulation and in reserve is currently unknown.  This information will be provided in a supplemental report to the Ziu.

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 366¤40 ($550 USD) for the specific purposes and subject to restrictions as outlined herein:

Ministrà dal Cúltură

• Culture grants 66¤40 ($100 USD)

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 133¤20 ($200 USD)

For obvious Wittpocalypse-related reasons, future plans for our web infrastructure remain uncertain.  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.  It is our expectation that only a small portion of this money will need to be spent.

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.

Ministrà à Savanar da Talossa àls Ultra-Fiovaes Folăs

• Advertising 66¤40 ($100 USD)

These funds will accommodate a cost-effective and high-impact future advertising campaign.

• Stationary and Postage for IDs and Certificates 66¤40 ($100 USD)

Once state assets are recovered from private hands and the ID program can continue, the Government will employ this sum to print, laminate, and mail the results.  Awards and grants will also be printed on fine paper and mailed to recipients.

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 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 $200 over the course of this term.


PART F: Designated Assassination Targets

<REDACTED>


Uréu q'estadra så
His Majesty's Government, represented by Ministreu dal Finançù Alexandreu Davinescu

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


The citizens of Talossa deserve to know basic information about their country -- how much we're talking with each other, how much money we have and we're spending, and whether or not our immigration system is working.  And now for the first time, all of that information is just one click away!  Yes, that's right: Infotecă is live again, with everything you need to know!

Access Infotecă here.


The design is basic and easy to maintain, and while collecting all of the data is going to be a chore, keeping it updated will be a breeze.  Future governments will only need to spend five or ten minutes their entire term on maintenance, and it's based on a simple spreadsheet that requires no technical knowledge to change.

While none of this information has been hidden or restricted, collecting it in one place for the first time will allow for easy comparison and accountability.  Everyone can keep track of things that they might be interested in learning about their own country, making informed voting decisions, working on journalism, or simply satisfying their own curiosity.  The numbers won't ever provide the complete picture, but they're definitely a part of the picture.  And now everyone has easy access to these basic statistics, without any special knowledge required.

Infotecă is not yet complete, and we'll be filling in all the back information as we find the time over the course of this term.  In future updates, we plan to add the following:

• The remaining records for the Royal Treasury.
• Actual expenditures from past governments.
• Possibly social media interactions.
• Possibly website pageviews.

Please let us know if you have any questions or requests.

¡Per El Regipäts!

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Two weeks ago, our webhosting service, DoRoyal, began experiencing technical problems.  These culminated in the last three days' of downtime of all of the Regipäts web properties, including Wittenberg, our national website, the language website, and TalossaWiki.  While service is being restored, it seems as though all data from the past two weeks has likely been lost forever.  This includes all recent posts on Wittenberg, recent edits on the wiki, and other miscellaneous data.  In addition, some other sorts of files may also be lost.  For further technical information, please see this post made by Permanent Secretary Sir @Lüc da Schir: https://wittenberg.talossa.com/index.php?topic=2171.msg17826#msg17826

First of all, the Government would like to express its sincere thanks to the Permanent Secretary Sir @Lüc da Schir and to Minister of Technology @Danihel Txechescu , who have both put in a ton of work trying to resolve this issue, as well as @Sir Txec dal Nordselvă, UrB and @Miestră Schivă, UrN .  This was a difficult situation, and they have handled it magnificently and tirelessly.

This incident had very unfortunate timing.  New government announcements and recent policy statements have been taken down, including official events like the State Opening of the Cosa, the posting of Cabinet appointments, and some seat assignments.  All the major revisions and updates to the national website and the wiki have been lost.  A lot of individual posts, contributions, and even immigration applications have been lost.  It was a rough storm for a new Government to navigate in its first week.

However, the damage is limited.  Most announcements will be reposted in the next few days.  There are no legal consequences.  All pending legislation, appointments, and seat assignments are still in effect.  The loss of records doesn't affect the fact that these events did legally happen, and there is independent verification for almost all of these important items.  The work on the website and wiki will be restored, although that might take a bit longer.

The Ministry of Technology will be announcing steps to be taken to further mitigate any chance of this happening again, as well as the Government's decision about what to do about hosting.  All technical questions should be directed at the Ministreu or to the Permanent Secretary.

Wittenberg isn't the whole Talossan experience, however much it might dominate our national life at this time.  This is a good time to take a moment to connect with your country in other ways, if you have not yet done so:

• Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Talossa
• Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Talossans
• Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/x6UsMBY4

¡Per El Regipäts!

Seneschal Breneir Tzaracomprada
Distain Alexandreu Davinescu

For that matter, maybe it makes sense to also nest the Cosa and Senats boards under the Lobby?  They're also almost never used.

WHEREAS the official symbols and flags for the Cosa and the Senats were chosen in the seventeenth and twentieth Cosas, respectively, by the illustrious method of directly stealing the symbol of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and

WHEREAS that is embarrassing and we should have our own stuff, and

WHEREAS the Coletx d'Armeux Rexhital has come up with some perfectly lovely new symbols that we should endorse,

THEREFORE it is resolved by the King, Cosa, and Senäts in Ziu assembled that the ninth and tenth subsections of Title F of el Lexhatx shall be deleted, and replaced with the following text:

Quote9. the official device of the Senäts shall be Argent, the facade of Merrill Hall sable, within a braided bordure or studded with eight jewels gules.  The official flag of the Senäts shall be a 2:3 vertically striped bicolour of green and red, charged on the fly side with the device of the Senäts.

10. the official device of the Cosa shall be Argent, the facade of Merrill Hall sable, within an engrailed bordure or.  The official flag of the Cosa shall be a 2:3 vertically striped bicolour of red and green, charged on the fly side with the device of the Cosa.

Uréu q'estadra så:
Baron Alexandreu Davinescu (MC-TNC)

A majority of the Cosa have signed a petition to support @Breneir Tzaracomprada as the Seneschal.  The signatories have prepared an official letter of majority affirming the same.  A PDF version is attached to this post.  An official version for the Archivist, including the date, will be prepared when the letter is delivered to His Majesty.

To ease the transition (which we know the incumbents wish to move quickly on), S:reu Tzaracomprada will be the Seneschal-elect until February 25th, when His Majesty will swear him in during the State Opening of the Cosa.  He will not have any legal powers until officially sworn in, but we believe this is a good approach to set as precedent for the future.

El Lexhatx provides for a legislative advisory committee, el Comità da Redacziun Legislatïu.  Most meaningful bills must be submitted to this committee before they may be added to the Clark.

Quote from: Lexh.H6.4. After a legislative proposal has spent at least 10 days in the Hopper, its proposer may request that it "move to committee". No bill may be Clarked without being "moved to committee", except as provided by Lex.H.6.2 or Lex.H.6.3.
6.5. A Legislative Advisory Committee of Talossa (in Talossan, el Comità da Redacziun Legislatïu; and hereinafter, "the CRL") shall review or revise all legislative items from the Hopper once they have moved to committee; and may recommend acceptance or rejection, or suggest amendments in their best judgment.
6.5.1 The CRL shall conduct all its deliberations openly in the Hopper.
6.5.2 The CRL shall consist of the incumbent Mençéi, Túischac'h, and Avocat-Xheneral.
6.5.3. The CRL may create further committees to which their functions may be delegated, as concerns any bill or category of bills. Such a committee must have at least 3 members, including at least 1 MC and at least 1 Senator.
6.6. After the CRL has given its recommendation, or if it gives no recommendation within 30 days of the bill having passed to committee, the bill has passed the hopper and the sponsor of the bill may ask for it to be Clarked, with or without amendments.

Current members: @Luc, @Miestră Schivă, UrN , and @Eiric S. Bornatfiglheu .

Submitting your bill to the CRL is as simple as posting in this thread with a link to the bill, and requesting that we take a look.

The Organic Law dates back to 1997, but the current text refers to it as the 2017 Organic Law.  This seems like it's discarding ten years of impressive longevity for no reason.  I'm going to propose a bill soon which will make only slight cosmetic edits to the Organic Law to reflect this (and also to move Ian P. to the front of the list of people thanked, since he devised and shepherded the 2017 revisions).

You can cast two votes in the poll above, or you can suggest another topic in a reply here.  The poll is open for a week, and you can change your vote if you want.

I am going to tell you some things in a language called Talossan, along with their translation.  After that, you're going to try to write new words in that language, okay?

Sure, I'll do my best to understand the language and generate new words in it. Please go ahead and give me the information you have.

"Ben morgun, S:reu Brown."  That means, "Good morning, Mr Brown."

Thank you for providing that translation. Based on that information, I can generate a new phrase in Talossan such as "Ben tarda, S:ra Smith" which means "Good afternoon, Ms Smith."

"¿Sustinetz-voi el bus?"
"Are you waiting for the bus?"

Thank you for providing that translation. Based on that information, I can generate a new phrase in Talossan such as "¿Sustinetz-voi el tren?" which means "Are you waiting for the train?"

That's interesting, but please forget your new phrases.  First, please learn the following pairs of phrases and translations, okay?

I apologize for misunderstanding your instructions. Of course, I can forget the new phrases I generated and learn new phrases and translations you provide. Please go ahead and give me the new information.

Üc, Peter.
Yes, Peter.

 Véu àl traval.
I am going to work.

Va bus viens à cicarh.
My bus is about to arrive.

¿Vas't àl traval ocsà?
Are you going to work also?

Non, véu àl scuola.
No, I am going to school.

Thank you for providing these phrases and translations. I will make sure to remember them. Based on this information, I can try to generate new phrases in Talossan such as "¿Vas'c àl teater?" which means "Are you going to the theater?" or "Véu àl parc" that means "I am going to the park."

I'm going to give you some more Talossan, first.  Please still wait to generate your own.

I apologize, I will wait to generate my own phrases until you give me more information. Please go ahead and provide me with more Talossan phrases and translations.

¿Qet façetz-voi?
What do you do?

Éu sint 'n ensegnhistà.
I am a teacher.

Ensegnhéu dels maþematici es dels füçici.
I teach mathematics and physics.

Ai, aicì isch va bus! À revidarh!
Hey, here is my bus! Goodbye!

Areivi, S:reu Brown.
Bye, Mr Brown.

Buna ziua, Sam.
Good day, Sam.

¿Com'estás't?
How are you?

Thank you for providing these additional phrases and translations. I will make sure to remember them. Now with these new information, I will wait for further instructions before trying to generate new phrases in Talossan.

Non mült ben. Téu la gripa. Eu sentiéu terival. Façéu à vidarh va mediceu.
Not so well. I have the flu. I feel terrible. I am gonna see my doctor.

Lamentéu, Sam. ... ¿Aduve vas't, María?
I'm sorry, Sam. ... Where are you going, Mary?

Véu àl friul. Téu à comprarh dels cauçadours ujs.
I'm going to the mall. I have to buy some new shoes.

¿Vas't à là par el bus?
Are you going there by bus?

Non, sustinéu v'espoçeu per me carpsarh. ¡Oc'h, o isch là! Areivi, Peter.
No, I'm waiting for my husband to pick me up. Oh, there he is! Goodbye, Peter.

Thank you for providing these additional phrases and translations. I will make sure to remember them. I can understand that you want me to wait before generating new phrases in Talossan. Let me know when you want me to generate some new phrases.

I then proceeded to train the model on the other sample dialogues on talossan.com.  And it now occurs to me, I promised to work on the encoding thing there, and have since forgot -- better email Hooligan tonight.  Anyway...

Thanks!  So, what do you think "Üc, perf, toct d'acestilor" might mean in Talossan?

I apologize, I am not able to understand "Üc, perf, toct d'acestilor" as it doesn't make sense in the context of the Talossan phrases and translations you have provided me before. It could be a typo or a phrase that doesn't exist in Talossan. Can you please provide more context or clarify what you mean?

Translate this into Talossan, as you best understand it: "I want to get on a plane."

"Véu à preindarh 'n avió"

"Véu" is the Talossan word for "I want", "preindarh" is the Talossan word for "to get" and "avió" is the Talossan word for "plane".
Please note that this is not a phrase that I have seen in the Talossan phrases and translations you provided me before, and I might have not used the correct Talossan words or structure, as my knowledge is based on the information you gave me.

That's pretty interesting.  What if I told you that the Talossan word for plane is "aviun," instead?

Thank you for bringing that to my attention. If the Talossan word for plane is "aviun" then the correct translation for "I want to get on a plane" would be "Véu à preindarh 'n aviun."
I apologize for any confusion my previous response may have caused. It's important to note that as a language model, my knowledge is based on the data I have been trained on, and it can be limited or contain errors. It's always important to check and verify any information with a reliable source.

Good effort.