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Bill: Omnibus Federalism Reform Act
Details
Submitted by[?]: Iqembu Sokusebenzisana Yeningi
Status[?]: defeated
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: April 2194
Description[?]:
| A bill to reform the federal structure of Ikradon, devolving power from the national government to regional and local governments. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change Charter school policy (free, privately run, publicly funded schools).
Old value:: Only non-profit organizations may establish charter schools.
Current: Charter schools must have a specific focus.
Proposed: Charter school funding, regulation, and development is left up to local governments.
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy towards fireworks.
Old value:: Professionals may run licensed fireworks shows, small fireworks are legal to the general public.
Current: Local governments determine fireworks laws.
Proposed: Local governments determine fireworks laws.
Article 3
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy concerning forest protection.
Old value:: Forests are protected. Logging is allowed by licence only.
Current: Forests have strictly enforced protection. Felling is limited to fire breaks.
Proposed: Forest protection is left to local governments.
Article 4
Proposal[?] to change The right to gamble.
Old value:: Gambling is legal, but only in private homes and casinos with special licences.
Current: Gambling is legal across the nation, no regulation whatsoever.
Proposed: The legality of gambling is a matter of local governments.
Article 5
Proposal[?] to change Sexual education in schools.
Old value:: Schools have an obligation to give sexual education at some point in puberty.
Current: Schools have an obligation to give sexual education at some point in puberty.
Proposed: This decision is up to the schools themselves without government regulation.
Article 6
Proposal[?] to change Government policy towards smoking.
Old value:: Smoking is legal everywhere, at the discretion of the property owner. However, service/employer property owners that allow smoking must provide a separate non-smoking section.
Current: Smoking is only allowed in private homes and clubs.
Proposed: Smoking regulations are to be determined by local governments.
Article 7
Proposal[?] to change Waste disposal responsibility.
Old value:: The government is responsible for waste disposal.
Current: Waste disposal is left entirely to the private sector but is regulated.
Proposed: It is the responsibility of local governments to decide on waste disposal regulation.
Article 8
Proposal[?] to change Regulation of the quality of drinking water.
Old value:: The government sets a single standard to ensure all tap water is drinkable.
Current: The government sets a single standard to ensure all tap water is drinkable.
Proposed: Local government is responsible for drinking water quality regulation.
Article 9
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy regarding the keeping of wild animals as pets.
Old value:: The government maintains a list of dangerous wild animals which may not be kept as pets; other wild animals may be kept as pets.
Current: The ownership of wild animals as pets is banned.
Proposed: This matter is left up to the local governments.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 23:11:17, March 01, 2006 CET | From | Iqembu Sokusebenzisana Yeningi | To | Debating the Omnibus Federalism Reform Act |
| Message | The Democratic Federalist League hereby submits its proposals to the National Assembly and for public comment. |
| Date | 00:07:18, March 02, 2006 CET | From | Ikradonian Faith Party | To | Debating the Omnibus Federalism Reform Act |
| Message | First of all, the IFP welcomes the Democratic Federalist League of Ikradon to the political scene. We appreciate every voice in the decision making process. We have studied all nine proposals, and have found none to be an example of good policy making. These issues, when devolved to the regional level, would create unfeasible differences between the regions. The IFP supports federalisation when it makes the government's work more efficient. Devolution just for devolution is something we prefer to refrain from. |
| Date | 01:13:54, March 02, 2006 CET | From | Iqembu Sokusebenzisana Yeningi | To | Debating the Omnibus Federalism Reform Act |
| Message | The DFL thanks the IFP for its warm welcome, and its reaction to these proposals. In general, the DFL takes the stance that the local government is the most responsive to the people and thus, in a democracy, the most representative of the public will. We welcome a diverse society in which competing visions of what is right manage to coexist in different areas. These two principles are the driving forces behind this legislation. Let's look at specific points. Why should gambling be limited to private residences or licensed clubs? This limits the amount of commerce a free society can generate. Furthermore, if a town's residents simply do not want to deal with gambling, who is the national government to gainsay them? This would allow for gambling to flourish where it is wanted without troubling those who do not want it. Such diversity is not untenable -- rather, it is eminently workable. Fireworks and smoking fall under the same principle. On the environment, the DFL is strongly of the opinion that individual communities have the manifest self-interest to keep their own land, water, and air clean, and we would prefer that they do so. Many environmental regulations, however, are overly broad and not applicable to specific situations. The DFL believes that leaving environmental regulation to localities will in fact improve efficiency, by eliminating layers of oversight complexity, and putting the onus of environmental policymaking squarely on those most affected by it -- the community which would be harmed by the pollution, if any occurred. Finally, on education, the DFL favors letting local school districts choose their curricula. We oppose national curriculum standards because they constrain local school boards from adapting to differing circumstances. The DFL also considers local school districts the best judges of when, and whether, a charter school is needed. For this and all of the above reasons, we urge all interested parties to support this bill. |
| Date | 08:27:11, March 02, 2006 CET | From | Iqembu Sokusebenzisana Yeningi | To | Debating the Omnibus Federalism Reform Act |
| Message | Sorry for the unusual speed with which we've brought this to vote; however, we want to be sure it clears the National Assembly before the next elections. |
| Date | 22:50:51, March 02, 2006 CET | From | Underappreciated Party of Ikradon | To | Debating the Omnibus Federalism Reform Act |
| Message | The UPI has always favored centralization as such we oppose this measure with great respect to the parties in opposition. ---Stephen Mao, UPI National Chairman |
| Date | 23:53:01, March 02, 2006 CET | From | Intellectual Revolution Party | To | Debating the Omnibus Federalism Reform Act |
| Message | IRP agrees with DFL the regional government sees what goes on in their respective region every day, which makes them best equipped to handle the problems that arise. It is our responsibility to give them the power they need to do so. If I may use an analogy, in the military we give the soldiers on the front lines the best armor and weapons we can because they have to solve the problem, or in their case, fight the fight. I realize the analogy is loose but I'm sure you all get the point. It makes complete sense to let those faced with the problems solve them. |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | |||||
| yes | Total Seats: 109 | |||||
| no |
Total Seats: 401 | |||||
| abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
| Random fact: Particracy has been running since 2005. Dorvik was Particracy's first nation, the Dorvik Social Democrats the first party and the International Greens the first Party Organisation. |
| Random quote: "The streets are safe in Philadelphia, it's only the people who make them unsafe." - Frank Rizzo |