Organic Law (history)

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2017 Reform Proposal of the Committee for Organic and Statutory Reform

The Committee for Organic and Statutory Reform was a body tasked with amending the Organic Law that assembled during the 50th Cosă. The Committee produced the so-called 2017 Organic Law consisting of 13 articles which remained dormant for two years before being taken up by the 53rd Cosa under the Still Into This Amendment.

In the meantime, three rivalling proposals were floated around:

• an alternative wholesale rewrite by Marcianüs based on the Australian constitution, which wasn't voted on;
• a more "softer" Mega-Amendment by the RUMP's Alexandreu Davinescu, which was only supported by his own party;
• and the 2019 Organic Law Reform Proposal, a more ambitious in-house proposal by the Plätschisch Cabinet which.

2019 Reform Proposal

The e 2019 Organic Law Reform Proposal didn't get the required Senate supermajority during the 52nd Cosa.

2019 Still Into This Amendment

After the failure of the 2019 Organic Law, the 2017 proposal was finally taken up by the Ziu in the 53rd Cosa. Ian Plätschisch, an original member of the Committee, resubmitted the proposal as the Still Into This Amendment ("SITA") with the additional input of Lüc da Schir and Glüc da Dhi, both of whom weren't in the original committee. Plätschisch claimed that the 2019 Organic Law didn't get the necessary opposition support because 1) it made substantive changes to the substance of the Organic Law; and 2) no list of changes was ever published. The 2017 Organic Law was an already complete draft that defeated both those points.

In respect to the Committee version, some changes were made:

• Article XIII, mostly consisting of provisions for a new Organic Law, was removed since the new proposal was an amendment;
• The Ziu may establish lower courts, instead of the Cosa alone;
• The Ziu may regulate what happens in the event the King fails to perform a duty;
• Clarifications on elections to the Senate and the Seneschal's power to dissolve the Cosa;
• Changed procedure when the Senate does not approve the budget;
• Abstentions are allowed on VoCs;
• MZs do not have to vote on every bill;
• Dandelions will register with SoS instead of MinImm;
• Senate and Cosa may officially administer themselves as they see fit.

Voting the Still Into This Amendment

53RZ14 was passed by the Ziu with large majorities in both Houses (129-10, 5-2), but was vetoed by the King; the veto was then overridden with 53RZ18 (129-20, 6-1). In both stages, the amendment was opposed by the RUMP (with certain members abstaining instead) and supported by the other parties.

Voting and the Ain't it Fun Act

The amendment's proponents were criticised for not having published the necessary changes they wished to make to El Lexhatx before the amendment was moved for a vote, and for not having given any timescale on when exactly such an ancillary bill would be presented and voted on. The amendment generically mentioned that there would be a year of time during which El Lexhatx could be amended before the new Organic Law took effect.

However, discussions between the Government and the confidence and supply partners led to the work on the ancillary bill, dubbed the Ain't it Fun Act ("AIFA"), beginning early in July. 53RZ22 was thus passed (136-48, 7-1) just one month after the veto on the main amendment was overturned, with the RUMP again opposing the bill save for the lone switch of Senator Cresti Siervicül. The King again did not sign the bill, but allowed it to become law nonetheless.

Referendum

The amendment was then subject to a referendum. Prime Minister Miestrâ Schivâ initially ordered the Chancery to hold a midterm vote right after another planned referendum, the one on the merger between Florencia and Fiova. However, the merger referendum was delayed by a re-vote in the assemblies of both provinces and a lawsuit, which meant the referendum for SITA would have to take place alongside the General Elections for the 54th Cosa.

The referendum passed with 56 votes in favour and 17 against, a large margin of 78% to 22%, with 17 abstentions.

Coming into force

SITA finally took effect on the 1st of March 2020/XLI when 54RZ12 came into force (The King again did not sign the bill, but allowed it to become law nonetheless.)