There’s No Half-Time in the Ziu Amendment

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

Whereas, it is possible, under the current attendance rules, for an MC or Senator to miss half of each term's Clarks and remain a member in good standing, and

Whereas, it is easy to become an MC or Senator but it should not be easy to remain an MC or Senator if one does not show up, and

Whereas, membership in our national legislature should be a privilege that commands enough respect that those who do not show up face stricter consequences.

Therefore, be it enacted, that Organic Law Article IV, Section 5 which currently reads as:

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 Cosa 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. The seats of any MC who is removed or vacates shall be reassigned according to Section 4, above.

Is amended to read as:

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 Cosa and approval by the King. An MC vacates his seats if he fails to vote on two consecutive Clarks, three Clarks non-consecutively, or if he resigns from office or dies. The seats of any MC who is removed or vacates shall be reassigned according to Section 4, above.

And be it further enacted that Organic Law Article III, Section 5 which currently reads as:

A Senator vacates their seat if, not being disqualified from voting by law, they do not vote on two consecutive Clarks; or if they resign from office, lose their citizenship or die.

Is amended to read as:

A Senator vacates their seat if, not being disqualified from voting by law, they do not vote on two consecutive Clarks within a single Cosa term, nine Clarks non-consecutively within their three-Cosa term of office or if they resign from office, lose their citizenship or die.

Uréu q'estadra så:
Breneir Tzaracomprada (Seneschal)
Tric'hard Lenxheir (Sen-Vuode)

[Tric'hard Lenxheir]

Whereas, it is possible, under the current attendance rules, for an MC or Senator to miss half of each term's Clarks and remain a member in good standing, and

Whereas, it is easy to become an MC or Senator but it should not be easy to remain an MC or Senator if one does not show up, and

Whereas, membership in our national legislature should be a privilege that commands enough respect that those who do not show up face stricter consequences.

Therefore, be it enacted, that Organic Law Article IV, Section 5 which currently reads as:

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 Cosa 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. The seats of any MC who is removed or vacates shall be reassigned according to Section 4, above.

Is amended to read as:

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 Cosa and approval by the King. An MC vacates his seats if he fails to vote on two consecutive Clarks, three Clarks non-consecutively, or if he resigns from office or dies. The seats of any MC who is removed or vacates shall be reassigned according to Section 4, above.

And be it further enacted that Organic Law Article III, Section 5 which currently reads as:

A Senator vacates their seat if, not being disqualified from voting by law, they do not vote on two consecutive Clarks; or if they resign from office, lose their citizenship or die.

Is amended to read as:

A Senator vacates their seat if, not being disqualified from voting by law, they do not vote on two consecutive Clarks, three Clarks non-consecutively or if they resign from office, lose their citizenship or die.

Uréu q'estadra så:
Breneir Tzaracomprada (Seneschal)

May I be added as a co-sponsor?

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

Whereas, it is possible, under the current attendance rules, for an MC or Senator to miss half of each term's Clarks and remain a member in good standing, and

Whereas, it is easy to become an MC or Senator but it should not be easy to remain an MC or Senator if one does not show up, and

Whereas, membership in our national legislature should be a privilege that commands enough respect that those who do not show up face stricter consequences.

Therefore, be it enacted, that Organic Law Article IV, Section 5 which currently reads as:

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 Cosa 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. The seats of any MC who is removed or vacates shall be reassigned according to Section 4, above.

Is amended to read as:

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 Cosa and approval by the King. An MC vacates his seats if he fails to vote on two consecutive Clarks, three Clarks non-consecutively, or if he resigns from office or dies. The seats of any MC who is removed or vacates shall be reassigned according to Section 4, above.

And be it further enacted that Organic Law Article III, Section 5 which currently reads as:

A Senator vacates their seat if, not being disqualified from voting by law, they do not vote on two consecutive Clarks; or if they resign from office, lose their citizenship or die.

Is amended to read as:

A Senator vacates their seat if, not being disqualified from voting by law, they do not vote on two consecutive Clarks, three Clarks non-consecutively or if they resign from office, lose their citizenship or die.

Uréu q'estadra så:
Breneir Tzaracomprada (Seneschal)

May I be added as a co-sponsor?

Absolutely, thank you. You've been added.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

Just making sure we're all aware that, due to basic mathematics, none of the provisions of this bill could kick in until the 5th Clark at the latest?

The Free Democrats are going to be opposing this both on the way it's written and on its principle, but I'll let Üc tell you more about that.

[Ian Plätschisch]

It's arguable that this bill would mean Senators who didn't vote three times over the course of their entire tenure would be kicked out, which would be strange.

MCs get replaced every election (even if the same individuals return), but even when Senators get re-elected there is no equivalent "hard break" in their tenure that would cause the strikes to reset.

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

It's arguable that this bill would mean Senators who didn't vote three times over the course of their entire tenure would be kicked out, which would be strange.

MCs get replaced every election (even if the same individuals return), but even when Senators get re-elected there is no equivalent "hard break" in their tenure that would cause the strikes to reset.

Ian, this is an excellent point. I will be revising the amending language for Article III, Section 5 to address it this evening.

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

@Ian Plätschisch on Article III, Section 5, I have edited the amending language to specify the consecutive absences within one Cosa term and missing half of all Clarks within their full term of office.

[Dame Litz Cjantscheir, UrN]

It's arguable that this bill would mean Senators who didn't vote three times over the course of their entire tenure would be kicked out, which would be strange.

MCs get replaced every election (even if the same individuals return), but even when Senators get re-elected there is no equivalent "hard break" in their tenure that would cause the strikes to reset.

Not quite true - This issue has already been addressed by the CpI in the 2005 Senäts Vacancy Ruling:
https://wiki.talossa.com/2005_Senäts_Vacancy_Ruling_(UC)

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

@Dame Litz Cjantscheir, UrN First, thank you for the helpful reference. I reviewed the case. Am I correct that any amended attendance requirement would need to concern a period between elections as a break in their term? A senator who was elected and served the entirety of their term would be (18 Clarks).

[Üc R. Tärfă]

I don't believe that the 3 non consecutive clarks for MCs to be a useful addition. It will only kicks in 2 situations:

V-N-V-N-V-N beeing the 6th Clark, so it's useless becasue the Cosa will be dissolved.

N-V-N-V-N beeing the 5th Clark.

What is the assumption? The MC could vote in the 6th, so they would have voted for half of its tenure.

The same reasoning for Senators (in a three-cosa term):

1-2-3-4-5-6
1-2-3-4-5-6
1-2-3-4-5-6

There could be only 3 failings in each cosa term that do not count for the 2-consecutive clarks rule: this means that the new rule could only kick in the 6th (last) or 5th Clark of the last cosa-term.

N-V-N-V-N-V
N-V-N-V-N-V
N-V-N-V-N

[Sir Txec dal Nordselvă, UrB]

I don't usually comment on bills, and even though I accepted this into the Clark, I dearly wish that when people write laws that involve the Chancery, they'd talk to the Chancery first.

I don't have an opinion on the law itself, but the mechanics of enforcement. If this passes, now when I close a Clark I have to look back at potentially two previous Cosas and keep some kind of running tally of when senators did or did not vote. This bill just adds another layer of responsibility on the SoS to make double sure someone didn't miss a vote or two or three in previous Cosas.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

I am going to advise the Free Democrats to vote down this bill for precisely this reason.

... and the reason that it seems aimed at a "purge" of less active legislators, making Talossa a less friendly place to get involved in politically