Amendment to the Assembly Procedure Act (October 2020)

[Domais]

Amendment to the Assembly Procedure Act (October 2020)

Proposed by: @Domais

Section 1. An amendment to the Assembly Procedure Act

(1) The relevant section of Assembly Procedure Act, as currently written reads:

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Section 2. Legislative Procedures

(1) A minimum discussion period of three days is required before any proposal may be brought to vote. The Speaker is not required to open a vote if they determine that the proposal has not had sufficient discussion, but they may not delay opening a vote for more than seven days from when the motion to vote on the proposal was seconded.

(2) In order for a proposal to be brought to vote, a citizen eligible to vote on that proposal must make a motion to vote, and another such citizen must second the motion. A motion to vote may only be made by the initial author of a proposal unless the initial author is no longer a citizen or has not posted on the off-site regional forum for more than seven days without posting a leave of absence. Only the citizen who made the motion may withdraw it, unless that citizen is no longer a citizen, then the Speaker may withdraw the relevant motion. Once a motion is withdrawn, voting shall cease immediately.

(3) Only the Prime Minister may introduce a proposal to enact, amend, or repeal a treaty or declaration of war, and only the Prime Minister may make a motion to vote on such a proposal.

(4) In the event that there are multiple competing proposals regarding the same matter in the judgment of the Assembly Speaker, the Assembly Speaker will bring them to vote one at a time, in the order they were motioned to vote. If such a proposal is enacted, the subsequent competing proposals will not be brought to vote.

(5) All votes will take place for five days. Citizens eligible to vote may vote "Aye" or "For," "Nay" or "Against," or "Abstain" or "Present." Voters may not post any other content in a voting thread or embellish the format of their vote in any way, and votes that include additional content or embellishment will be discarded and split from the voting thread. Voters may cast their votes by posting in each voting thread.

(6) The Assembly Speaker will determine which discussions will take place publicly and which will take place privately, and may accordingly move discussions to and from the Assembly's private forum, except that the Delegate may determine whether proposals to enact, amend, or repeal treaties will be public or private. All votes will be conducted in public.

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(2) The relevant section of the Assembly Procedure Act, as amended shall read:

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Section 2. Legislative Procedures

(1) A minimum discussion period of three days is required before any proposal may be brought to vote. The Speaker is not required to open a vote if they determine that the proposal has not had sufficient discussion, but they may not delay opening a vote for more than seven days from when the motion to vote on the proposal was seconded.

(2) In order for a proposal to be brought to vote, a citizen eligible to vote on that proposal must make a motion to vote, and another such citizen must second the motion. A motion to vote may only be made by the initial author of a proposal unless the initial author is no longer a citizen or has not posted on the off-site regional forum for more than seven days without posting a leave of absence and has not logged on to their on-site account for more than seven days.

(3) Only the citizen who made the motion may withdraw it unless that citizen is no longer a citizen, then the Speaker may withdraw the relevant motion. A motion may only be withdrawn before the end of the last day of voting and once a motion is withdrawn, voting shall cease immediately.

(4) Only the citizen who withdrew the motion may re-motion to vote at any time and such motion shall require a second before being brought to vote. If any motion to vote is not seconded within seven days that motion shall be invalid.

(5) If a relevant proposal is edited after a motion to vote is made then that motion shall be invalid. No changes to a proposal shall be accepted once the relevant vote has commenced.

(6) Only the Prime Minister may introduce a proposal to enact, amend, or repeal a treaty or declaration of war, and only the Prime Minister may make a motion to vote on such a proposal.

(7) In the event that there are multiple competing proposals regarding the same matter in the judgment of the Assembly Speaker, the Assembly Speaker will bring them to vote one at a time, in the order they were motioned to vote. If such a proposal is enacted, the subsequent competing proposals will not be brought to vote.

(8) All votes will take place for five days. Citizens eligible to vote may vote "Aye" or "For," "Nay" or "Against," or "Abstain" or "Present." Voters may not post any other content in a voting thread or embellish the format of their vote in any way, and votes that include additional content or embellishment will be discarded and split from the voting thread. Voters may cast their votes by posting in each voting thread.

(9) The Assembly Speaker will determine which discussions will take place publicly and which will take place privately, and may accordingly move discussions to and from the Assembly's private forum, except that the Delegate may determine whether proposals to enact, amend, or repeal treaties will be public or private. All votes will be conducted in public.

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[joWhatup]

What happened to 3?

[Frankender]

(6) If a relevant proposal is edited after a motion to vote is made then that motion shall be invalid, however, voting shall not cease if the relevant proposal was edited after voting has commenced. However, no changes to any proposal shall be accepted after a relevant vote has commenced unless that motion has been withdrawn.

Confusing. Not sure why this mentions that the relevant proposal being edited doesn't affect the proposal, yet the next sentence states that a proposal cannot be edited.

It is also just hard to read. This bullet needs to be rewritten entirely.

[Domais]

(6) If a relevant proposal is edited after a motion to vote is made then that motion shall be invalid, however, voting shall not cease if the relevant proposal was edited after voting has commenced. However, no changes to any proposal shall be accepted after a relevant vote has commenced unless that motion has been withdrawn.

Confusing. Not sure why this mentions that the relevant proposal being edited doesn't affect the proposal, yet the next sentence states that a proposal cannot be edited.

It is also just hard to read. This bullet needs to be rewritten entirely.

It meant to stop people from changing their proposal after they motioned it. But if voting already started then voting will not stop if the proposal is edited. However, that change will not affect the vote.

[Frankender]

It meant to stop people from changing their proposal after they motioned it. But if voting already started then voting will not stop if the proposal is edited. However, that change will not affect the vote.

Yeah no, don't get me wrong, I am in support of this legislation, I just think that bullet is hard to read and kinda confusing

[Domais]

Seeing that I've made the relevant changes, I motion to vote.

[Frankender]

Wait, one question before I'm on board completely -- I have a question about this line:

"A motion may only be withdrawn before the end of the last day of voting and once a motion is withdrawn, voting shall cease immediately."

What is the purpose behind allowing the motioner to withdraw their motion mid vote?

[Domais]

Wait, one question before I'm on board completely -- I have a question about this line:

"A motion may only be withdrawn before the end of the last day of voting and once a motion is withdrawn, voting shall cease immediately."

What is the purpose behind allowing the motioner to withdraw their motion mid vote?

To allow for changes to be made. What happened was is I made an amendment that said something like the so and so will be amended to read: <section>. That would have deleted most of the law and we had to scramble on the last day of voting when we noticed to vote it down. https://www.nslazarus.com/thread-1398.html found the vote.

[Frankender]

Ok, I’ll second the motion!

[Frankender]

Is it valid for me to be commenting on discussions that have not warranted it?

Perhaps no, but I am not breaking any rules nor policies.

Any legislator who votes against this legislation who does not wish to voice their concerns should have their vote nullified. Persons such as @"Leonism" are too afraid to voice their opinions! Rather -- let us vote against the discussion instead of having intellectual discourse, for we will not ever win the aforementioned!