The Senate has been working on the Criminal Code Overhaul since March 23rd of this year, and they have just recently arrived at misdemeanors, the final category, out of three. In other words, this legislation is so old it has a picture of Lethen in its high school yearbook. Actually, this legislation is so old, even HEM thinks it has been in this region too long. Not to mention, this legislation is so old, it owes Anumia five bucks. Get the picture? 
In the recent EBC panel, opinions were given over how this process should be looked at.
Senator Drecq, the Senator that actually proposed the overhaul, gave this statement, "Progress could have been quicker. And some of the changes have not been consistent (which will be worked on in post production). But all in all I'm satisfied with it." Senator modernsin pointed out, "There's a difference between 'slow and steady' and sheer inattention. I think there's been more than a fair share of inattention throughout the thread." Minister of Culture writinglegend, however, stated, "The Senate has been working hard on this, and it's great that they are taking a serious approach to it." These quotes, for the most part, seem to point to a Senate that spent a fair amount of time of this legislation, but perhaps not in the best way.
Taking into consideration the "slow and steady" vs. "sheer inattention" debate, Associate Justice and recently confirmed Minister of Foreign Cultivation Malashaan weighed in, "I've been satisfied with it. The Senate has been taking it seriously and making thoughtful changes." After all, the Criminal Code is the cornerstone of our Justice system. Many would argue that an overhaul of it should be considered carefully, regardless of how long it takes. In fact, in the public gallery discussion of Europeia v. Zenny Fominov, Malashaan stated, "The Senate is the body that makes law, [and the Attorney General] cannot legally remove a law from the books because popular opinion disagrees with it." Therefore, perhaps the extended period of time focused on this overhaul is worth it, to ensure the region has what its citizens would consider an acceptable Criminal Code.
Another issue, Attorney General hyanygo pointed out, "[It] feels like a core of people are doing all the legwork... some Senators have been too quiet." Malashaan chimed in, "I do see activity as a huge problem. One thing I do wish is that the people would pay more attention to prior activity levels when voting." This points to another issue people had with this overhaul, a lack of activity. If only a select group of the Senators in office take the time to focus on the important issues, what does that say about the job performance of those who fail to participate? Whether activity will play a role in the upcoming Senate election remains to be seen, but any Europeian would be wise to consider this advice when at the Voting Booth.
To conclude, let's look at what we discussed here. This overhaul has been going on for a very long time, six months, actually. While many have complained about a lack of movement, we must remember the subject matter, and judge accordingly. Do we wish to have a speedy revision, and have an inadequate Criminal Code? Perhaps not. That is not to say, however, that all this time has been spent wisely. Many times this overhaul did not benefit from the entire elected body's attention, and that is reflected in the proposal's, at times, weeks of inactivity, for no apparent reason. So, where does that leave us? In simple terms, our region must carefully consider our options moving forward. We can't really afford another six months of debate on this legislation, if we aren't getting adequate effort from our Senate. What we can afford is to be diligent, and be informed. The next time you hear a Senator say this overhaul is not a high priority, or that it can be put on the back burner for weeks, don't "Shake it Off" as just another excuse. Instead, protest I Knew You Were Trouble", because of their mistaken priorities. Together, our region can create a better Criminal Code, a better legislature, and a better tomorrow.
In the recent EBC panel, opinions were given over how this process should be looked at.Senator Drecq, the Senator that actually proposed the overhaul, gave this statement, "Progress could have been quicker. And some of the changes have not been consistent (which will be worked on in post production). But all in all I'm satisfied with it." Senator modernsin pointed out, "There's a difference between 'slow and steady' and sheer inattention. I think there's been more than a fair share of inattention throughout the thread." Minister of Culture writinglegend, however, stated, "The Senate has been working hard on this, and it's great that they are taking a serious approach to it." These quotes, for the most part, seem to point to a Senate that spent a fair amount of time of this legislation, but perhaps not in the best way.
Taking into consideration the "slow and steady" vs. "sheer inattention" debate, Associate Justice and recently confirmed Minister of Foreign Cultivation Malashaan weighed in, "I've been satisfied with it. The Senate has been taking it seriously and making thoughtful changes." After all, the Criminal Code is the cornerstone of our Justice system. Many would argue that an overhaul of it should be considered carefully, regardless of how long it takes. In fact, in the public gallery discussion of Europeia v. Zenny Fominov, Malashaan stated, "The Senate is the body that makes law, [and the Attorney General] cannot legally remove a law from the books because popular opinion disagrees with it." Therefore, perhaps the extended period of time focused on this overhaul is worth it, to ensure the region has what its citizens would consider an acceptable Criminal Code.
Another issue, Attorney General hyanygo pointed out, "[It] feels like a core of people are doing all the legwork... some Senators have been too quiet." Malashaan chimed in, "I do see activity as a huge problem. One thing I do wish is that the people would pay more attention to prior activity levels when voting." This points to another issue people had with this overhaul, a lack of activity. If only a select group of the Senators in office take the time to focus on the important issues, what does that say about the job performance of those who fail to participate? Whether activity will play a role in the upcoming Senate election remains to be seen, but any Europeian would be wise to consider this advice when at the Voting Booth.
To conclude, let's look at what we discussed here. This overhaul has been going on for a very long time, six months, actually. While many have complained about a lack of movement, we must remember the subject matter, and judge accordingly. Do we wish to have a speedy revision, and have an inadequate Criminal Code? Perhaps not. That is not to say, however, that all this time has been spent wisely. Many times this overhaul did not benefit from the entire elected body's attention, and that is reflected in the proposal's, at times, weeks of inactivity, for no apparent reason. So, where does that leave us? In simple terms, our region must carefully consider our options moving forward. We can't really afford another six months of debate on this legislation, if we aren't getting adequate effort from our Senate. What we can afford is to be diligent, and be informed. The next time you hear a Senator say this overhaul is not a high priority, or that it can be put on the back burner for weeks, don't "Shake it Off" as just another excuse. Instead, protest I Knew You Were Trouble", because of their mistaken priorities. Together, our region can create a better Criminal Code, a better legislature, and a better tomorrow.