Forum:First Chamber

__NEWSECTIONLINK__ In Lovia, Congress is the national legislative body and the most powerful branch of government. The First Chamber is one of the two chambers of Congress, in which the Members of the Congress propose bills and debate them. The Second Chamber is where they are eventually voted. Paradoxically, Lovia does not have a bicameral parliament: there is only one group of MOTCs that both debates and votes the proposals. For the current composition of Congress, see this.

As prescribed by Article 6 of the Constitution, all Lovian citizens "may write and propose motions to the Federal Law", that "are presented to the Members of the Congress in the First Chamber." The MOTCs' duty is to "read the motion and form a personal opinion about it. In order to obtain the support of a majority of Members of the Congress, changes may be proposed in the First Chamber." If a majority is likely to be found, the proposer will move the bill to the Second Chamber for a vote.

The First Chamber is not a popular assembly where all citizens can express their personal interests. Polling the population ought to happen outside of Congress.

2012 First Congress
I'd to welcome all the Congresspeople to another great year! Hopefully, we'll be able to establish a tax code, further laws on the economy, and some reform proposals during the year. The first item on our agenda is the government composition, followed by an election of the Speaker of the Congress. Mr. Ilava, will you be proposing your government today as expected? —TimeMaster (talk • contribs) 22:38, February 1, 2012 (UTC)
 * I'll be speaker. I can do so, even if I'm not that active. -- 01:20, February 2, 2012 (UTC)
 * I'm planning to become the speaker too. —TimeMaster (talk • contribs) 01:38, February 2, 2012 (UTC)
 * I'll try to make something of it. --O u WTBsjrief-mich 07:16, February 2, 2012 (UTC)

001. Government
I propose the following list for the government. Shall we put it to a vote?

Those who did not give their preferences have been assigned another tasks. I gave TM two functions, because I think he can handle it. --O u WTBsjrief-mich 07:21, February 2, 2012 (UTC)
 * Prime: Ilava
 * Defence: Hoffmann
 * FA: Breyev
 * Finance: Krosby (using Galahad IC)
 * Justice: An
 * Health: Torres
 * Education: McComb
 * Culture: Ilava
 * Labour: McCrooke
 * Commerce: Costello
 * Agriculture: Lewis
 * Energy and Resources: Opať
 * Environment: Donia
 * Transportation: Abrahams
 * Tourism and Sport: Villanova
 * for some reason i don't want to be in gõvernment with conservatives. I however think about it Pierlot McCrooke 08:18, February 2, 2012 (UTC)
 * I like this Marcus/Michael Villanova 10:56, February 2, 2012 (UTC)
 * Why not give Bill An the Justice position? —TimeMaster (talk • contribs) 11:54, February 2, 2012 (UTC)
 * I'll just go ahead and change it. Jeff doesn't have a post so he can have Justice. —TimeMaster (talk • contribs) 11:57, February 2, 2012 (UTC)
 * Full support from me. HORTON11 : Email_icon.jpg • follow_me.PNG 12:14, February 2, 2012 (UTC)
 * Why did Breyev take FA? I had so much interest... As Justice minister I guess I'll revamp the Judicial situation... I'm so sad. WTF... -- 12:38, February 2, 2012 (UTC)
 * Maybe you just didn't have enough activity... —TimeMaster (talk • contribs) 22:38, February 2, 2012 (UTC)

I am in favour of this. Kunarian 14:37, February 2, 2012 (UTC)

Alright, we've got no serious opposition, so let's propose this. —TimeMaster (talk • contribs) 23:41, February 2, 2012 (UTC)

Go go! Marcus/Michael Villanova 23:49, February 2, 2012 (UTC)

It's proposed now. I also added me as Speaker. —TimeMaster (talk • contribs) 23:50, February 2, 2012 (UTC)

002. Establishment of the SKA - Educational Reform Act (Part I)

 * Establishing the SKA as the state-subsidized and sponsored test.

The 2012 Educational Reform Act - (Part I)

An act requiring the education of Lovia to be reformed and for the Standard Knowledge Assessment to be implemented as the official state-sponsored and subsidized test.
 * The theories of creationism and evolution will only be taught with permission from the parent/legal guardian.
 * The SKA may not include any topics about evolution or creationism.
 * If a school's average grades are below 80 (C-F), the school must offer tutoring every morning and afternoon, unless excused by a reasonable reason from a parent/legal guardian.
 * Students may choose to be absent for religious holidays, including Passover, Easter, Chinese/Lunar New Year, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, etc. They will not be marked absent. Any missing schoolwork will not be required to be turned in, or the due date will be delayed.

Anyone? -- 04:41, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * The idea itself is not bad, though it definitively needs more working. Also, it might be a good idea to check whether it doesn't have a negative impact on regional practises and religiosity. --O u WTBsjrief-mich 09:34, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * I don't like the bonus idea. It will be a stimulating environment for fraud. The rest looks okay to me. --O u WTBsjrief-mich 14:03, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * Plus we don't have a state school system here do we, most aren't payed for by the government are they? Kunarian 14:43, February 4, 2012 (UTC)

Well, first this will need to be made into a law. Also, why would a Standardized Test ask simple "fact" questions that may not have a definitively right or wrong answer? They usually don't. For example, the SAT and the ACT don't simply quiz you on random facts, instead they focus on things that have a clear right and wrong answer that are in limited fields, like math and english and in the ACT's case, "science reasoning". So the SKA will need to be reviewed and made sure to be a legitimate test. —TimeMaster (talk • contribs) 14:35, February 4, 2012 (UTC)

For me to accept the SKA then I would need for it to have much much more work done on its page, at the moment its a stub and we really need it to be more detailed. As for creationism and evolution, the schools should teach both, one in science and the other in religions of the world. No bonuses for better grades, a teacher should not be motivated by such things that could lead to fraud. Manditory tutoring... hmm, its too forced, maybe it should be a requirement for the school to offer it but not to force it on the student. Religious holidays yes, schoolwork still needs to be handed in though. Kunarian 14:43, February 4, 2012 (UTC)

Made changes. -- 16:00, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * HELLO?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! -- 04:08, February 5, 2012 (UTC)!

003. Census: By the Numbers
I would like to propose this law which congress would control the census numbers so we have a more realistic country to deal with. There's 20000 people and about 250 different companies. Too many for such a small country.

Congressional Census Act
Short and simple I like it beacuse we can have a realistic country now. Marcus/Michael Villanova 20:42, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * In April of each year congress must put foward new numbers for the Lovian population.
 * Any congress member can propose these numbers.
 * These numbers must be approved by congess by a 51% majority
 * In case congress cannot reach an agreement, the population of all the villages and townships automatically increase by 50.
 * If duthc parliament would accept that the Netherlands have 166 milion inhabitants? Would be that useful? No. What if some guy came in and proposed 14444444444444444444444444444444444 inhabitants and it then got accpeted, would lovia then really have soo many inhabitants? I suggest we do censuses independent of politics Pierlot McCrooke 20:47, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * I think we, as a group, are smarter than that. Don't you think Pierlot? I don't think we're that dumb -__- Marcus/Michael Villanova 20:55, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * It still should be independent of politics. It should be a realistic number for Lovia but should not be something congress votes on. Kunarian 21:12, February 4, 2012 (UTC)

NO NO NO!! No voting on population figures! This is not how Lovia is meant. I'd say we simply keep the current census figures and make them 10 times higher, so 200.000 inhabitants. Way simpler, less politics. --O u WTBsjrief-mich 21:14, February 4, 2012 (UTC)


 * Yes. This is a good idea. As we said. Kunarian 21:17, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * We however should not base the inhabitants figure around berekeningen like every house 10 inhabitants or every nhabitant of lovia represents 1738 people or something Pierlot McCrooke 21:19, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * We already proposed a system before: based on the current figures times 10 with an annual growth between -5% - +10% max. per year. --O u WTBsjrief-mich 21:36, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * growth at +10% is optimistic especially when we are in the position where the best country population growth is around 5%, and the worst -2%. I think we should consider things at the start of every year, such as "was immigration promoted?", "were people more encouraged to have children?" and such. Kunarian 21:40, February 4, 2012 (UTC)

Could I have some people saying whether they support the increase by 10 times, so that we may move on and work with other matters. Kunarian 22:46, February 4, 2012 (UTC)

I'm all in favor of Oos's idea: no more counting! Although, I agree that the growth needs to be slow, 5 and -2 should work. We also need to change our previous population figures. —TimeMaster (talk • contribs) 23:54, February 4, 2012 (UTC)

@Kunarian: a ten percent growth in Lovia would than mean +300 inhabitants in f.e. Hurbanova. If you'd make this lower, it will be impossible to create new neighborhoods. Indeed, in a country with a population of 15 million a 10% growth is much, but in a country with a population of 200.000 it is not that much. -5% is justified for the same reasoning and the fact that we might have another civil problem in the future. --O u WTBsjrief-mich 09:08, February 5, 2012 (UTC)

004. Job Bureau Plan
I hereby propose a plan to set up Job Bureaus. The Job Bureaus must provide the following services:
 * Helping people that can not succefully find a job finding a good job.
 * In case that is not possible only then you can get a uitkering
 * People can get tested for work handicaps here. In case that is the case they are eligible for Job Bureau
 * Sheltered work companies may only haave 50-60 workers macimum to keep their controlability
 * Regularily a 'stage' at a normal company is offered. This 'stage' tests their capabilities Pierlot McCrooke 21:00, February 4, 2012 (UTC)

What is a uitkering? Some sort of unemployment benefit? Also... I don't get what you mean by a "sheltered work company", and why can't they have more than 50-60 workers? —TimeMaster (talk • contribs) 23:56, February 4, 2012 (UTC)
 * for the dutchies onder us 'sheltered work company' is 'sociale werkplaats'. And those employeement limits are there so the people there can be easily helped Pierlot McCrooke 09:49, February 5, 2012 (UTC)

@TM: uitkering means the social security payments to the unemployed, disabled etc. Def. of sheltered workshop: cost subsidised establishment where work is offered to persons who,due to a combination of severity of disability and/or labour market conditions,cannot secure competitive employment. --O u WTBsjrief-mich 10:14, February 5, 2012 (UTC)