Proposed Meta Constitution of Western State

1. The Election of Officials to the Offices of Western State

i) Elections of Legislators, Governor, and Lt. Governor to the Offices of Western State shall be held every three months.

ii) To be eligible to vote in these Elections, the voter must have registered in the Western State Voter Registration to vote the in Western State at least one week prior to the announcement of the state elections.

a) Any voter who registers to vote in Western State forfeits the right to vote in any other model state, until removed from the Western State Voter Registration.

b) Any registered voter may petition the keeper of the Western State Voter Registration to be removed from the Western State Voter Registration.

c) Upon being removed from the Western State Voter Registration, a voter’s right to vote in other model state is restored to them.

d) The Western State Voter Registration shall be maintained by the keeper of the Western State Voter Registration, who shall be responsible for removing voters who petition to be removed, and adding voters who petition to be added.

e) To be eligible to be added to the voter Western State Voter Registration, the reddit account voting must be, at least, 3 months old on the day of voting or have joined a party before the announcement of the federal election date.

f) All rules and requirements involving the Voter Registration shall not take effect until one month after its creation.

iii) The Governor and Lt. Governor shall run on a single ticket, and shall be elected using straight past the post voting.

iv) Nine State Legislators shall be elected.

v) State Legislators shall be elected on party lists, and must be ranked for the party list to be eligible as a party list.

a) State Legislators shall be elected using the d’hondt system.

b) For the election of Legislators, voters shall vote for a party, not for a candidate.

vi) The Legislature may be alternately referred to as the Western State Assembly.

vii) During the 3 month term, a Recall Election of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor may be called by any state legislator.

a) Any Recall Election must be sponsored by 2 state legislators in addition to the one that first proposed it.

b) Any call for a Recall Election must announce the Governor and Lieutenant Governor Candidates on the ticket challenging the incumbents.

c) The election date shall be set as 1 week from the third state legislator public sponsorship.

d) A state legislator may only sponsor 1 recall election during any given 90 day term.

e) A recall election may not be called until 3 weeks after the most recent election have passed, nor may a recall election be called if the next regularly scheduled state elections are less than 3 weeks away.

f) In the event of a successful Recall Election, the newly elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall serve until the next scheduled statewide election unless an additional Recall Election is called.

g) Only reddit accounts who voted in the last Western State elections and who also meet the voting criteria laid out in Section 1 Sub Section ii may vote in a recall election.

h) Any challenging ticket in a Recall Election must obtain 60% of the vote in order to unseat the incumbent Governor.

2) The Process by Which Law may be made Western State Law

i) Any Western State Legislator, may submit bills to the Speaker of the Assembly.

a) If the Speaker of the assembly fails to bring a bill to the floor within 30 days of having it submitted, then the Legislator who submitted it may bring it to the floor.

ii) Following three days after The Speaker of the Assembly brings a bill to the floor the Legislators shall vote upon the bill.

iii) Legislators may vote yea, nay, or abstain.

iv) The voting session shall last two days.

v) If less than 1/2 of the total number of legislators vote then the voting session shall be extended for three more days.

a) If more than 1/2 of the total legislators have not voted by end of the extended voting session than the bill or resolution is not passed.

vi) If a bill receives a simple majority it is sent to the Governor for his or her signature.

vii) The Governor may sign a bill, making it into Western State Law, veto a bill, or not sign it and allow it to pass into law.

a) If a Governor vetoes a bill, his veto may be overridden by a 2/3 majority of Legislatures.

b) If a governor does not sign or veto a bill it automatically becomes Western State Law 30 days after being sent to him.

viii) The Speaker of the Assembly shall be responsible for ensuring that these deadlines are met, and that the law making process is followed.

ix) The Speaker of the Assembly shall be elected by a simple majority of the Legislators.

x) The governor may pass executive orders. These may be challenged in the Western State Supreme Court.

a) Any executive order passed by the governor may be declared null and void by 2/3 of the Legislature.

xi) The governor has the power to appoint cabinet officials and executives. These appointments must be confirmed by a simple majority of the Legislature.

xii) The Lieutenant Governor may break ties of any bill, resolution, assembly speakership, or appointment confirmation for which a simple majority is required.

xiii) A referendum may be put on the next regularly scheduled statewide election ballot.

a) Any Referendum must first be proposed by a state legislator, and sponsored by two additional state legislators.

b) A Referendum shall be in the form of a proposed bill. The ballot shall contain a link to the contents of the bill in its entirety, and a neutral question crafted by a moderator, asking whether the voter wishes for this bill to become law.

c) Any bill passed by referendum immediately becomes law and does not need any vote by state legislature nor the signature of the Governor.

d) Referendums must be proposed and sponsored at least 2 weeks before the next scheduled state election.

3) Replacing Vacant Officials and Leaves of Absence

i) The Governor may, if he wishes, take a leave of absence not more than 30 days, during which time the Lt. Governor shall function as the Governor.

ii) Any Legislator may appoint a temporary replacement to act in their behalf, for not more than 30 days.

iii) The Governor may resign at any point; in this case the Lt. Governor becomes governor. The new governor must then appoint a new Lt. Governor, who would be approved by a simple majority of the Legislature.

iv) A Legislator, the Speaker of the House, or the Lt. Governor may resign at any point. Their party may choose a replacement if they do.

a) If the party of the resigning official does not chose a replacement in seven days, it shall fall upon the Legislature to elect a new one.

v) If a legislator fails to vote in three consecutive votes, his office shall be forfeit, and he shall be barred from taking office in Western State for 120 days.

a) The party of the inactive legislator shall appoint a replacement.

b) If the party of the inactive legislator has not done so in seven days the responsibility falls upon the legislature to appoint a new one.

c) If the inactive legislator was unaffiliated with a party, then his replacement must be unaffiliated as well.

vi) The governor may be impeached by 2/3 of the Legislators, at which point the Lt. Governor assumes the office of Governor.

a) Grounds for impeachment are committing serious crimes.

vii) If the governor is impeached, he may appeal his impeachment to the Western State Supreme Court.

viii) If a federal senate seat falls vacant, the governor may appoint a replacement, who must be confirmed by a simple majority of the Legislature.

a) If, however, the senator publicly resigns before his seat falls vacant, he may select his own replacement.

4) Creation of a Western State Supreme Court

i) There shall be a Western State Supreme Court, who’s role is to interpret the state constitution, to declare laws invalid based on the constitution of the united states and Western State, and to settle matters of constitutional confusion in their relation to Western State.

ii) Judges may resign at any time, if they wish to.

iii) The Western State Supreme Court shall have three justices.

iv) Each of the three justices shall serve for life, resignation, or continous inactivity.

v) Justices shall be appointed by the governor, and confirmed by a simple majority of the Legislature.

vi) A State Supreme court ruling of unconstitutionality against any law passed by the Western State must be unanimously agreed upon.

vii) If a Justice falls inactive he shall be replaced.

viii) A justice is considered inactive if he doesn't comment in regards to one court case. He is to be given a seven days grace period to prove that he is active before a replacement may be selected.

5) Amending the Constitution

i) The constitution shall be amended upon a proposed amendment receiving the support of 2/3 of state Legislators and the Governor.

6) This Constitution shall be enacted immediately after receiving the agreement of 2/3 of the State Legislature.

The governor of Northeast State and democrat presidential nomination, /u/ben1204 has recently issued an executive order banning the use of Northeast funds for travel to Western State. He also claimed that Western state has discriminated against homosexuals. This is false, and it is hilarious for a governor with such a poor human rights record to assert such. He was perhaps referring to Western state refusing to change the definition of marriage to pander to individuals disinclined to enter into valid marriages. Asserting that this is discrimination is false.

By taking this route, /u/ben1204 has insulted all of the citizens of Western state, which includes the citizens of California, Texas, Washington, Arizona, Hawaii, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Nebraska, New Mexico, and many other states besides. I could respond in kind, and take the same action as him, and insult the citizens of New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and other states besides, but I choose not to, and take no such action at this time.

It is disgusting that a presidential nomination would take the actions that /u/ben1204 has, but he has. He is putting petty party politics ahead of the citizens of both Western and Northeast States, and has shamed himself.

Thank you,

Erundur

I, /u/Erundur, do affirm that I will, in this simulation, support the Constitution of the Model United States and the Constitution of the Model Western State, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Governor, which I am now about to enter.

Rather than putting the people of this state through a premature recall election, which, through manipulative and duplicitous practices by some legislature members, seems likely to come to fruition, I have decided to resign the office of the governorship effective immediately.

I had a fun time being your governor, and I always hoped when the knives came, they'd come from the front. Sadly, I did not have that good fortune.

I also wished I could have had more time to serve, but I think that's the common sentiment of those who have the fortune to govern

I wish the best of luck to my friend, and now the governor of this state, /u/pm_me_your_panzer.

Give em hell, Dan. The Western State will thrive under you.

Hey Western State,

I’ve decided not to pursue my parties’ governorship for a third term, to give another Hound a chance at it, and I’ve taken up residence in Midwestern state. I thought this would be a good time to reflect on what I accomplished over the past 2 terms.

The first thing I did was write a constitution and work on getting the state working. The constitution has flaws, and a lot of them, but it made Western State active during my first term, thanks in large part to the clerk and speaker, /u/Juteshire. My most significant achievement for the lives of the citizens in Western State was signing a bill protecting the due process of a marginalized group of citizens, prenatal people, but I managed to accomplish a lot during my first term. I stood up for the environment, for traditional marriage, for the poor. I made it harder for one spouse to unilaterally abandon another. I stopped the death penalty in Western State. I signed bills slashing the corporate tax for small businesses (and yes, I did take that into account when doing the budget). Towards the end of my first term, I wrote and got passed the maternal care act, which was freaking expensive but provided care for poor mothers in need of assistance.

During the second term, I made it my mission to kill the deficit that I created during the first term, which was about 110 Billion Dollars. Despite the state grinding to a halt for a while, I wrote an inheritance tax, and got it passed, making the state an estimated 90 Billion Dollars. It took a lot of effort, but eventually I also got a luxury tax passed too, which made an estimated 20 Billion Dollars. For those at home who can’t do math, that’s balanced. I didn’t get nearly as much passed during the second term as the first, but I did get a few constitutional reforms done. I can rest easy knowing that I’m leaving the state in pretty good state for my successor.

I’ve changed my residence to Texas (which was always apart of Western while I was governor), and have about three months to kill while the party rebuilds and preps for the next bout of federal elections. I’ve agreed to be on conservative joint ticket as new Lt. Governor of Western State, mostly because that’s one of the worst jobs available (seriously, it’s even less important than the VP, which is saying a lot), and nobody else seems willing to take it. If we should manage to beat the leftists for control of Western’s governor slot, I’ll still be nominally around here, otherwise I don’t expect to hold another position in Western.

It’s been nice serving Western State, and it’s been a great 2 terms.

/u/Erundur

I appoint the distrubutist /u/Conservative-Brony to the office of Chief Justice of the Western State Supreme Court, the democrat /u/Trailrunn to the office of Associate Justice of the Western State Supreme Court, and the Federalist /u/thmsm to the office of Assocciate Justice of the Western State Supreme Court. I now send these nominees to the Assembly for confirmation or rejection.

By the authority vested in me as Governor by the Constitution and laws of the Western State, I hereby issue the following Executive Order to be enacted effective immediately:

Section 1: Repealing EO: 003

(a) Executive Order 003: Retention of State Law Enforcement Funds and Resources is hereby repealed in its entirety.

(b) The Department of Homeland Security shall be granted full access to State and Law Enforcement resources.

Section 2: Rescinding EO: 004

(a) Executive Order 004: Activation of the Western State Military Reserve is hereby rescinded in its entirety.

(b) The Western State Military Reserve is to be deactivated effective immediately.

/u/Nerdyboy25

March 22, 2016

Recently Northeast State signed a concurrent resolution, claiming that Western State infringed upon the rights of its citizens. This is false. It is the Northeast state that has infringed upon the rights of its citizens, through refusing to protect the marriage contracts of private citizens, redefining marriage to suit their whims, and refusing to respect the rights of unborn human beings. The last example is particularly egregious, as Northeast state continues to allow a holocaust, and even funds it. That Northeast State would denounce Western State for infringing upon the rights of its citizens, whilst itself perpetrating a great human rights abuse, is ludicrous.

Thank you,

/u/Erundur

Legislators /u/CarsonDMacMillan and /u/Mysterious_Drifter have both failed to vote in three consecutive votes, and so their seats are forfeit, as per the Western State Constitution, and they are dismissed from office. They are also both barred for holding office again in Western State for 120 days, as per the Western State Constitution. It falls upon their respective parties to now appoint a replacement, within seven days from today, or else their replacement shall be selected by the assembly.

The American Labor Party has now held a vacant seat for 18 days, more than twice as long as the constitution permitted them to hold it, and so the seat is stripped from thr ALP. The replacement legislator shall now be selected by the assembly.

I, the Lieutenant Governor, come here today, on behalf of the Governor of the State of Sierra, to offer the office’s best wishes to Representative PresentSale of Sierra, who recently announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the upcoming Sierra gubernatorial election.

Congressman PresentSale, on behalf of the Governor, I wish you good fortune in the race to come.

But, Congressman, it doesn’t escape the notice of the Governor that you were recently elected to the brand new term in the House, to represent the people of this state.

But, Congressman, it doesn’t escape the notice of the Governor that you recently embarked on an audit of the entire executive branch of the federal government.

But, Congressman—why?

Why are you now abandoning your post, which the people of our state willingly elected you to, in order to run for a higher office? Why are you now conducting such a controversial and fraudulent investigation, when you’ve recently stated your intention to seek a greater position?

Congressman, it is clear to the Governor, and to the people of Sierra at large, that this investigation is a political stunt meant to increase your stock, to increase your likelihood of victory in the primary and in the general election.

Congressman, it is clear that this stunt, this investigation into the executive branch which is held by the opposition party, is, as your hero would say, a “witch hunt”.

Congressman, it is clear to us that your position is, to you, a means to an end, an opportunity to aspire to something greater.

But, Congressman—now that you hold such a powerful position already, why not use it for the powers of good, and raise your stock through legitimate means, rather than in a dishonest way?

It is the Governor’s desire that you focus your efforts, for the good of the people of Sierra, on decent policy and good legislation in order to protect the environment, to protect the people, and to ensure the domestic tranquility of the state and the nation at large.

But, Congressman, you’ve initiated this partisan farce, and introduced further legislation that’s previously been deemed unconstitutional, in an attempt to censor art. This is not decent policy; this is not good legislation.

It is the Governor’s desire, Congressman, to focus on the people, not on petty partisan issues. That is why the Governor failed to voice an official position on this investigation of yours prior to this time. But, Congressman, your declaration of candidacy is, given your ongoing actions, an alarming one. Should you be elected, and should the Democratic or Bull Moose Parties take the Assembly, what then, Congressman? Will an “audit” of Sierra’s legislature ensue? Will you drive a further wedge between the parties, between the executive and the legislature, between the people of the western-most state?

Allow the Governor to be clear; this is not an indictment of the Grand Old Party. This is a rebuke of PresentSale. Should Assemblyman Cenarchos run against our incumbent, the people of Sierra would have nothing to fear; they’d be in good hands regardless of the victor. Should ChaoticBrilliance, or Viktor, or Atlas_Black win the primary, Sierrans would have nothing to fear.

But, Congressman, you’re no Cen. You’re no Brill, no Vik, no Atlas. You’re a relic of the long-past Trumpian politics that never should have been.

So, Congressman, the Governor has made the opinion of this office clear. Focus on decent policy, write good legislation, and bring prosperity to Sierra—earn the vote of the good Sierrans. Or continue your audit, and withdraw your announcement. But, Congressman, should you continue on your course—l’etat ce n’es jamais toi.

Whereas, the current name for Planned Parenthood inadequate;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ruairidh_, Governor of the Western State in accordance with the authority vested in me by the constitution of the Western State, do hereby issue this Executive Order, effective immediately.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:

All Planned Parenthood clinics in the Western State be renamed to 'Unplanned Parenthood'.

Signed,

Ruairidh_

The Handsome One

Starting with this assembly session, I will be using iVote for tallying of standard yea,nay, abstain votes. This is a system that has been used by the Democratic Party since January for internal elections and polls and has served them well. As such, I have modified the system to be used on the state level. With that, I also ask you all to welcome your new automated Deputy Clerk, /u/model_iVote, which will automatically report on the results of voting.

All legislators will need to vote in the iVote system, to vote on any outstanding votes legislators can go here:

VOTE ON OUTSTANDING LEGISLATION

The general public also has access to live running vote tallies here:

Live Tallies

(Please note, I will make the table look pretty later, I never bothered making the results page pretty before but I'll get around to it soon)

All legislation still needs to be submitted by modmailing /u/ModelWesternState. Amendments and amendment voting will continue to be done on /r/ModelWesternAssembly.

Elimination of the Pink Tax Act

Section 1: Name

This act shall be referred to as the Elimination of the Pink Tax Act.

Section 2: Definitions

Feminine hygiene products - personal care products used by women during menstruation, vaginal discharge, and other bodily functions related to the vulva.

Luxury tax - a tax placed on products or services that are deemed to be unnecessary or non-essential.

Section 3: Repeal of Luxury Tax

No luxury tax shall be placed on feminine hygiene products. These products include and are not limited to: tampons, pantiliners, douche, menstrual cups, period panties, sanitary napkins, and feminine wipes

Section 4: Enforcement

This law will go into effect after 60 days of being passed into public law.

This act was written by /u/parhame95 (D) and sponsored by /u/Doctor-Clockwork (D).

Amendment proposal will begin in the Western Assembly immediately and last two days. Additionally, amendment proposal will begin again for AB 040.

Due to intelligence gathered by the Governor's Office, I have been forced to take drastic action to defend the democracy of the Western State.

By the authority vested in me as Governor by the Constitution and laws of the Western State, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1: Definitions

(a) Heathens are defined as any individual who does not embrace Catholicism.

(b) Catholicism is defined as the One True Religion.

(c) Reconquista is defined as the Western State's God given right acquire all land within the Union.

Section 2: Activation of the Western State Military Reserve

(a) The Western State Military Reserve is activated.

(b) All volunteers of the Western State Military Reserve are hereby ordered to attend their local command for further briefing.

(c) A Coy., 1st Bat., 1st Brig. are hereby ordered to attend the Governor's Mansion for further briefing.

(d) All crew of the USS Oregon of the Western State Naval Militia are hereby ordered to attend the Hunters Point Shipyard for further briefing.

(e) The Western State Military Reserve shall be legally referred to as The Knights Templar.

Section 3: God's Country

(a) Catholicism is hereby recognized as the official State religion.

(b) All heathens are to be lynched and converted.

(c) The Western State is hereby renamed to Jesus Land

(d) I, Governor /u/Nerdyboy25, hereby bend the knee to His Holiness Pope Ambrose.

Section 4: Reconquista

(a) Jesus Land hereby claims all land within the Union.

(b) War is hereby declared against the Midwestern State.

(c) War is hereby declared against the State of Dixieland.

(d) War is hereby declared against the Central State.

(e) War is hereby declared against the Commonwealth of Eastern State

(f) War is hereby declared against the Devil Worshiping Northeastern State.

(g) War is hereby declared against the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Executive Order 006 shall go into effect immediately

Please take the following oath in accordance with the Constitution of California Western State.

I, [Your Username], do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Western State against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Western State; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter.

And I do further swear that I do not advocate, nor am I a member of any party or organization, political or otherwise, that now advocates the overthrow of the Government of the United States or of the Western State by force or violence or other unlawful means; that within the five years immediately preceding the taking of this oath I have not been a member of any party or organization, political or otherwise, that advocated the overthrow of the Government of the United States or of the Western State by force or violence or other unlawful means except as follows: [No Exceptions, unless you were a member of any such party or organization, in which case list it/them];

and that during such time as I hold the office of [state your office here] of the Western State Supreme Court I will not advocate nor become a member of any party or organization, political or otherwise, that advocates the overthrow of the Government of the United States or of the Western by force or violence or other unlawful means.

Amendment 001, The Supreme Court Judicial Efficiency Amendment, having passed the Western State Assembly, is hereby signed into law, by order of the office of Governor of Western State.

Signed,

/u/Erundur

Bill 014, the Western State Equal Rights Act of 2015, having passed the Western State Assembly, is hereby signed into law, by order of the office of Governor of Western State.

Signed,

/u/Erundur

The new socialist legislator is /u/jahalmighty, replacing /u/Mysterious_Drifter.

This is the official Assembly hearing for the nomination of /u/Prospo as Attorney General of the Western State. The floor is now open for the nominee to be questioned.

Like a bill discussion, this hearing will last three days, and then I will open a confirmation vote.

This is the official Assembly hearing for the nomination of /u/thmsm as Associate Justice of the Western State Supreme Court. The floor is now open for the nominee to be questioned.

Like a bill discussion, this hearing will last three days, and then I will open a confirmation vote.

The distrubutist cabinet appointments are as follows/u/Prospo for attorney general, /u/Cameraman502 for Director of Natural Resources and the Environment, and /u/Tahey123 for Secretary of Commerce and Labor.

Each of these appointments is sent to the Western State Assembly for approval.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ModelWesternState/comments/3hk4kl/discussion_of_bill_009_the_western_state/

Bill 009, the Western State Renewable Energy Mandate and Environmental Protection Act of 2015, having passed the Western State Assembly, is hereby signed into law, by order of the office of Governor of Western State.

Signed,

/u/Erundur

By order of the Office of Governor of Western State, all felons sentanced to execution in Western State shall be granted a temporary reprieve from execution. This reprieve shall not last longer than one week after all the seats in the State Supreme Court are filled. This is done on the authority vested in the Governor of Western State in Article 5, section 8 of the Constitution*. In cases where the governor has no authority to stay execution, such as federal executions or the execution of one twice convicted of a felony, no reprieve is granted. This executive order is to be enacted immediately, and may be cancelled at any time. The legislature is hereby informed of these reprieves.

*The IRL constitution of CA, not the meta one.

I'm looking for candidates for the Western State Supreme Court. I would fill it with one distrubutist (working on that in the party subreddit), one democrat, and one republican. Any democrats or republicans interested?