GraVandius
Retired Troll
- Pronouns
- His Majesty
Does the Senate Really Only Push Commas Around?
or are you just not paying attention?
The idea that the Senate debates things that only affect a small minority of people and generally just pushes around commas. This is the point of view of at least a few prominent Europeians and was expressed repeatedly on the Senate Poll Discussion broadcast. I decided to test whether that was true by looking at the work of the Senate the past two terms, going from least to most recent, and looking at who the legislative change affects.
Hate Speech Non-Protection Act (2017)
Change: This bill made it impossible for someone to use freedom of expression as a defense against using hateful language against a individuals sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, language, religion, or national or social origin. It also enables the discord moderation team to dish out permanent bans for such language.
Affected:This has the obvious affects for some of the arbiters of justice in the region but it also sent a broader symbolic message about what the community holds as its standards and the behavior it will tolerate from it's citizens.
Specifically:Discord Moderators, Justices, Attorney General, Defendants.
Technically:Everyone
Title Clarification Act (2017)
Change: This bill made some minor changes to the titles people can claim to use in the region. The amendment notably allowed speaker's of the Senate to use the title the Rt. Honorable for the rest of their existence.
Affected:This generally only affects people who actually use these titles at all.
Specifically:Former Speakers.
Technically:Citizens who use the titles.
Commendation Commemoration Act (2017)
Change: This bill made the date of Europeia's commendation a high holiday, which mandates at least a day of celebration.
Affected:Since something has to be done for October 22 now, this affects the culture ministry because they have to plan something and subsequently the whole region as we celebrate this monumental achievement
Specifically:Members of the Culture Ministry
Technically:All Citizens.
Definitions Integration Amendment (2017)
Change: This bill integrated the former definitions section into the actual offenses and removed the original section. It more notably expanded the scope of unlawful spamming to target actions such as Aditya's now infamous "nice" comments.
Affected:This has clear legal affects for the arbiters of justice and like. It also has an affect on the community as a whole by limiting pointless spam from the forum.
Specifically:Attorney General, Justices, Possible defendants
Technically:All Citizens.
Senate Term Amendment (2017)
Change: This bill provides for the situation where Presidential resignations or other reasons, cause the need for a new election. This makes sure we don't have an overly short or long Senate term in that case due to the past necessity being 35 days apart.
Affected:This has affects on election administrators as it changes their options in extreme cases.
Specifically:Office of the Chancellery, Senate
Technically:N/A
Staff Deputy Amendment (2017)
Change: This bill allowed the WAD to keep internal staff if the Ministry of the World Assembly was dissolved at any point. (This Bill was made irrelevant by the new World Assembly Act)
Affected:This has affects on people involved in the World Assembly. It also would have made it more feasible for the President to cut WA loose should they have wanted to.
Specifically:World Assembly Delegate, Ministry of World Assembly.
Technically:President.
World Assembly Affairs Amendment (2017)
Change: This bill mandated the President appoint someone to manage World Assembly Affairs.
Affected:This pretty much guarantees the continued existence of the Ministry of the World Assembly.
Specifically:World Assembly Delegate, President, Ministry of World Assembly,
Technically:Citizens Interested in World Assembly.
Legal Documents Act (2017)
Change: This bill made it illegal to lie to a representative of the government about something material is liable to punishment.
Affected:This is another bill that primarily only affects the arbiters of justice and the potential criminal.
Specifically:Attorney General, Justices, Possible defendants
Technically:All Citizens.
Alternate Prosecutor Amendment (2017)
Change: This bill allows the Attorney General to appoint an alternate prosecutor
Affected:This affects the AG and the law clerks who are presumably the people whom will be appointed.
Specifically:Attorney General, Law Clerks.
Technically:N/A
World Assembly Act (2017)
Change: This made the WAD appointed by the President rather than elected, Made a 180 day term requiring reconfirmation by the Senate, Greatly expanded Presidential powers over WA, Allowed President to dictate votes for GA resolutions if they believed it to necessary, provided for not the appointed delegate becoming delegate.
Affected:This affects basically everyone involved in WA and the general citizenry due to the GA change.
Specifically:President, World Assembly Delegate, Ministry of the World Assembly
Technically:All Citizens
Chancellery Referendum Administration Amendment (2018)
Change: This allowed for the case in which the entire body of the Chancellory was vacant and made the Chief Justice the administrator in region wide confirmation of the appointment of a new Supreme Chancellor by the .
Affected:This is a pretty rare case so it only affects those involved in that particular scenario. Since all people can vote in the confirmation it does technically affect all citizens should that scenario ever had happened prior to this amendment.
Specifically:Office of the Chancellory, Cheif Justice
Technically:All Citizens.
Blackmail Amendment (2018)
Change: This makes it illegal to threaten to release true information and threaten to release untrue information unless the victim provides some favor. It also got rid of admin actionable situations from the CC preventing any confusion.
Affected:This affects basically everyone involved in Criminal Cases in addition to the admin team
Specifically:Administrative Team, Attorney General, Justices, Possible Defendants.
Technically:All Citizens.
Organisation Activity Requirement Amendment (2018)
Change: This bill mandates that the Attorney General De-Register organizations that have not had an official public post in 105 days.
Affected:Pretty Striaghtfoward
Specifically:Attorney General, All Members of an Organization
Technically:N/A
Forum Administration Act Modernization Amendment (2018)
Change: This bill removes incredibly old language that limits admin action on post moderation by involving the Chief Justice.
Affected:Pretty Straightforward
Specifically:The Admin Team
Technically:N/A
Change: This bill made it impossible for someone to use freedom of expression as a defense against using hateful language against a individuals sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, language, religion, or national or social origin. It also enables the discord moderation team to dish out permanent bans for such language.
Affected:This has the obvious affects for some of the arbiters of justice in the region but it also sent a broader symbolic message about what the community holds as its standards and the behavior it will tolerate from it's citizens.
Specifically:Discord Moderators, Justices, Attorney General, Defendants.
Technically:Everyone
Title Clarification Act (2017)
Change: This bill made some minor changes to the titles people can claim to use in the region. The amendment notably allowed speaker's of the Senate to use the title the Rt. Honorable for the rest of their existence.
Affected:This generally only affects people who actually use these titles at all.
Specifically:Former Speakers.
Technically:Citizens who use the titles.
Commendation Commemoration Act (2017)
Change: This bill made the date of Europeia's commendation a high holiday, which mandates at least a day of celebration.
Affected:Since something has to be done for October 22 now, this affects the culture ministry because they have to plan something and subsequently the whole region as we celebrate this monumental achievement
Specifically:Members of the Culture Ministry
Technically:All Citizens.
Definitions Integration Amendment (2017)
Change: This bill integrated the former definitions section into the actual offenses and removed the original section. It more notably expanded the scope of unlawful spamming to target actions such as Aditya's now infamous "nice" comments.
Affected:This has clear legal affects for the arbiters of justice and like. It also has an affect on the community as a whole by limiting pointless spam from the forum.
Specifically:Attorney General, Justices, Possible defendants
Technically:All Citizens.
Senate Term Amendment (2017)
Change: This bill provides for the situation where Presidential resignations or other reasons, cause the need for a new election. This makes sure we don't have an overly short or long Senate term in that case due to the past necessity being 35 days apart.
Affected:This has affects on election administrators as it changes their options in extreme cases.
Specifically:Office of the Chancellery, Senate
Technically:N/A
Staff Deputy Amendment (2017)
Change: This bill allowed the WAD to keep internal staff if the Ministry of the World Assembly was dissolved at any point. (This Bill was made irrelevant by the new World Assembly Act)
Affected:This has affects on people involved in the World Assembly. It also would have made it more feasible for the President to cut WA loose should they have wanted to.
Specifically:World Assembly Delegate, Ministry of World Assembly.
Technically:President.
World Assembly Affairs Amendment (2017)
Change: This bill mandated the President appoint someone to manage World Assembly Affairs.
Affected:This pretty much guarantees the continued existence of the Ministry of the World Assembly.
Specifically:World Assembly Delegate, President, Ministry of World Assembly,
Technically:Citizens Interested in World Assembly.
Legal Documents Act (2017)
Change: This bill made it illegal to lie to a representative of the government about something material is liable to punishment.
Affected:This is another bill that primarily only affects the arbiters of justice and the potential criminal.
Specifically:Attorney General, Justices, Possible defendants
Technically:All Citizens.
Alternate Prosecutor Amendment (2017)
Change: This bill allows the Attorney General to appoint an alternate prosecutor
Affected:This affects the AG and the law clerks who are presumably the people whom will be appointed.
Specifically:Attorney General, Law Clerks.
Technically:N/A
World Assembly Act (2017)
Change: This made the WAD appointed by the President rather than elected, Made a 180 day term requiring reconfirmation by the Senate, Greatly expanded Presidential powers over WA, Allowed President to dictate votes for GA resolutions if they believed it to necessary, provided for not the appointed delegate becoming delegate.
Affected:This affects basically everyone involved in WA and the general citizenry due to the GA change.
Specifically:President, World Assembly Delegate, Ministry of the World Assembly
Technically:All Citizens
Chancellery Referendum Administration Amendment (2018)
Change: This allowed for the case in which the entire body of the Chancellory was vacant and made the Chief Justice the administrator in region wide confirmation of the appointment of a new Supreme Chancellor by the .
Affected:This is a pretty rare case so it only affects those involved in that particular scenario. Since all people can vote in the confirmation it does technically affect all citizens should that scenario ever had happened prior to this amendment.
Specifically:Office of the Chancellory, Cheif Justice
Technically:All Citizens.
Blackmail Amendment (2018)
Change: This makes it illegal to threaten to release true information and threaten to release untrue information unless the victim provides some favor. It also got rid of admin actionable situations from the CC preventing any confusion.
Affected:This affects basically everyone involved in Criminal Cases in addition to the admin team
Specifically:Administrative Team, Attorney General, Justices, Possible Defendants.
Technically:All Citizens.
Organisation Activity Requirement Amendment (2018)
Change: This bill mandates that the Attorney General De-Register organizations that have not had an official public post in 105 days.
Affected:Pretty Striaghtfoward
Specifically:Attorney General, All Members of an Organization
Technically:N/A
Forum Administration Act Modernization Amendment (2018)
Change: This bill removes incredibly old language that limits admin action on post moderation by involving the Chief Justice.
Affected:Pretty Straightforward
Specifically:The Admin Team
Technically:N/A
To me that seems like a pretty diverse group of people and positions affected. It includes everyone from the World Assembly Delegate to the Attorney General. Additionally, while there was certainly some things that could be viewed as comma pushing such as Chancellery Referendum Administration Amendment (2018), there were a lot of very substantive changes made over the past two terms. Things like the World Assembly Act (2018) and the Organisation Activity Requirement Amendment (2018) had real changes, with the former overhauling how a major part of this game is managed and the latter fixing a major problem with groups that are becoming more common.
In conclusion, the criticism that the senate generally just debates things that impact a very small section of the community appears to be false. Additionally the idea that the Senate does not do anything but move commas around or improve language also seems to be false. I would suspect these perceptions stem from certain people not actually paying attention to what the Senate is doing. Sure the Senate can seem a bit distant at times but I think that can be solved with greater outreach and involvement in the community as a whole, rather than structural changes.
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