User:Average/Legislature
One of the three branches for a Better, Saner Future.
The Legislative Branch shall be composed of resident volunteers from the district who come together to craft Law as they have the gumption to do so. Every law restricts liberty, so let them be made by volunteers committed to the community. Once passed by the Executive, such Laws should not be removed until another Executive countermands it (asks for it to be repealed) or a note is sent to the Executive to approve of repealing it. Membership is counted on any given year by those citizens who show up and make themselves available. Such citizens get recognition on their ID card ("Legislative member 2017").
Legislatures can get paid upon approval of the Executive who can review the budget at any time, but has no authority over the budget (as many of the items were made before their incumbancy). There should be a time, once a year (around tax collection), where all disagreements between Executive and Legislative agendas for the budget are reconciled (a name of this event?), yet control over it remains with this Branch (the Executive has their own budget from sales tax revenue). Civil disruptions within Legislative processes can be handled by police in the Executive Branch and tried as usual. If you find disruptions can't be handled property by your elected leader, then you know that you've gone overboard at your district and should reduce to the next level down (50 state governments, for example).
The Executive should give a "status report" at a minimum of every month to the Legislature for projects that will obligate their budget. Here lies the opportunity for the Executive to get information from the Legislative Branch and legislators can get an audience with the Executive.
Citizens can charge other citizens with breaches of the law. They should send a copy to the offender and the Executive office to arrange a court hearing. Citizen may cite a law or they may claim a breach of it's basis. If the courts can't handle the load, then the executive is failing to lead or the city is too large for its developed government.
A quorum and simple majority is required to pass or repeal a Law by the House. An act of repeal only needs to be run by the Executive if the Office is still held by the same executive who signed it off on it. All Acts must be given sufficient notice if an Executive is in office for citizens to meaningfully participate. In absence of knowing what that is, give a 7-day notice and published in the Press. For the former, the Executive must approve (or not veto). The quorum for passing Legislation is two for city and doubles with each level of governance. For repealing law, the quorum is the number of Legislators that passed the law, minus one (perhaps greater for higher-level districts). This serves to encourage collaboration among district members (who might be less inclined to slip legislation under the radar if they know it can be even easier repealled), and favors the advancing of better, smaller law over large amounts of law. STUBXXX The Executive, after accepting the Bill, retains the right of priority for executing the law. In the case of a repeal, the Executive's approval is required like any other legislation.
The Legislature can force a vote for Executive projects which will create ongoing public costs by simple majority.
If no Executive is in Office, the Bill can be sent to the next higher level Executive. If there's no Executive there, then the next and so on. Any congestion present allows those higher-level Executives to check on districts lower-down to see what needs to be done. Perhaps it's better leadership, education, or just a pep rally. Once it gets to the highest-level Executive's desk, and there's no one there, the # of Bills should be published to the Press to inspire the next leader to arrive.
The quorum in the event when no Executive is in office to pass upwards is double the normal amount, and can be reviewed by the Legislature there and, if no Executive there, can pass upwards again (with double the quorum) if no Executive is present. Jurisdiction for that law stays limited to the issuing district. The quorum for a call to War is 50+% (50% + 1 in the case of a 50/50 split) of the district`s population.
Elected officials do have the privilege of disregarding local laws, but will have to answer to the public for re-election and just consider the example it sets for others which could impact the Judicial Branch. A higher-level Executive can charge a lower-level Executive in the event of a breech of the Law. Proceedings for a ruling should occur at the higher Judicial Branch.
The Legislative keeps the People's Budget -- the ongoing budget that is funded by income taxes and provides monies for continued services in various departments like district maintenance (utilities, roadways, etc), law enforcement salaries (not equipment), schools, celebrations/tourism, etc. Any budget changes have to be passed by the Executive`s desk for approval. The local Legislature is receives the revenue from income taxes and is responsible for sending higher-level taxes upwards at the given rate. The higher-level Executive there can inquire about Legislative receipts to ensure fair payment has been received.
If the People wish to countermand any directives here in this document, you should publish that a vote will be taken more than a day in advance, then the quorum is 50% of the population and 2/3+ majority, or if no such publication is practical, an excess of 90% and a simple 1/2+ majority.
Well-crafted law is a good teaching tool and exemplar for public education and community stewardship. Registration of the Law should happen within the Branch, where it should be available at all times for public review (and/or the Internet), categorized by some scheme to be evolved at the highest levels and maintained by the district. Such registration should not carry the names of voters responsible, as you wish to encourage participation but don't want to encourage grandstanding. Instead, include the number of votes in favor and denied, including the district in which they reside (if participation in higher-level Branches). The Bill should only include the names of those who crafted the law and should then pass to the Executive. If passed, it should be published in that district's newspaper and on downwards to properly inform the public. Special fonts and form is suggested to make official correspondence to the public stand out and be noticed. This duty befalls the Executive's secretary.
The Executive can step to provide direction, but has no vote. Any legislation should pass by the Executive`s Desk for review. If there is no Executive in office, it can remain on the Desk until one is elected. The Executive may send back with refinements or it may be vetoed. Once vetoed, you can shelve it until the next Executive fills the Office. Vetoed bills need not stay on public record, but should be recorded and filed internally. The issue of whether to include the number of support votes on or for the Bill is up to the Page who delivers it to the Executive Office.
Legislation should have a Name for the Law (or "Bill" if not yet passed by the Executive), a paragraph describing the problem the legislation solves, and the author`s (not voter`s) names, in rough order of contribution. A Bill need not be complete for a start (like "Parking Meter Rates") to be given in the Legislation. Dissenting members can change the Name of the Law (names are preferred here) or later repealing members should be noted who approved re-opening a previously closed Law. Never create a new law when you can remake an existing one, preserving the history of all the interactions on the topic.
If the Executive calls for some pre-existing legislation to be scratched from the books (i.e. repealed), it acts as a normal submission, requiring the normal quorum of two and a simple majority. It must be published 24 hours in advance with the name of law to be rescinded. Repealed laws stay on record, but are marked clearly "REPEALED". Such law can get re-enacted only if some change is given or compromise, where it can then be stamped "RE-ENACTED" after passing the Executive's desk.
Standards and procedures for identification (birth certificates and ID cards) do not count as legislation but are internal operations of the government. They do not have to go through the Executive Desk, but you must get official approval from the Judicial to lend authority that such documents act as legal instruments for the purposes of the Law.
The Legislative Branch sets the income tax rate imposed at the level of their jurisdiction, collected by either the employer or the employee. This should get cross-checked by the Executive when there are changes; however, if there is no Executive and changes are wished to be made, a 2/3 majority is required and the rate can only be changed once per collective cycle. FIXME FIXME Aim for one income tax collection point for all levels and pass revenue upwards as those levels have established above. That is, individual residents (generally) pay one flat tax rate, and the Legislative splits this up for it`s own use and sends the remainder upwards.
The Legislative Branch cannot obligate any new budget item or halt any existing spending without the signatory approval of the Executive. Generally the Executive should be the change agent, as YOU put him/her there. Dialog is important.
The Legislature (or "Congress") should be informed of monthly gross receipts collected by the Executive branch on sales taxes.
Legislative volunteers can serve as little and as long as they want -- they get no compensation, but get an endorsement on their ID card that shows their level of participation. If volunteers don't come to participate, they simply lose out on what their community does. Some government positions may be established however to maintain services (like when there is no Executive in Office). These can be paid, but it should be published the name of such positions and their duties (not their compensation). Current holder of the position can be communicated upon inquiry. The Legislative has considerable leeway to maintain services and basic functionality of government as long as there is money available, it is recorded properly, and can be justified.
Money from sales tax accumulated while the Executive Office is vacant should be held securely by a Bank, with revenue published on a monthly basis along with an annual balance, encouraging hopeful electors to run for Office. Such monies held in savings and collected while not in Office are the privilege of the Executive but require the Legislative to get signatory approval for the Bank to release it. It is the spenders responsibility to track all spending. In the case of the Legislature, it should be recorded to the Public Record. For the Executive, it should be reported to the Legislature as frequently as they request. Banks may or may not keep transaction details private if offering the account at a special government rate. Changing banks requires approval of both Executive and Legislative Branches. Keep in mind the Bank is offering a service to you also, since they can't or shouldn't expect it to be a money-making account, in return you're helping them have a healthy civic sector to protect and grow their investments.
Legislative Branch is responsible for the design of currency, and should be based on a tangible good, preferably a precious metal. These monetary placeholders should be decided at the highest levels of government available so they can be traded freely and readily across borders, but each state can decide upon it's own design and compete with how much of their own district is in circulation (because it's produced the greatest economic value). Precious metal (like gemstones) are created by work that transcends the effort of man, irreproducable, and reveals intrinsic value immediately through it`s lustre. They should belong to the those who hold high ideals and vision. The keepers of such should have some reward for noble stewardship. Decide on regular denominations, reasonable weights , and logical sizes ($1 should probably be the radius and thickness of a US dime, others scale from there). Stick with $1, $5, $10, $50, $100 or $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and a singular noble metal for all dollars. For higher dollar values, consider cubic forms, or even other Platonic solids. For fractions of the dollar, use copper exclusively as it won't confuse anyone at a glance.
City Councils represents the vestigial pre-Constitutional power structures and are often prevalent but should be abolished as it's better to have either a clear point of authority or none (especially when lethal force is present ior authorized).
All deaths at the city level should be sent to Mayor's office. Local participants in higher-levels of government can (and should be) send upwards.
There is no bicameral Legislature.
- "ior" = inclusive or.
