Final version (as of Thursday before the meeting). I think I incorporated all comments. If I missed one, please IM me.
Resolved:
1. Whenever any member of the RA is allowed a seven day vote, all members of the RA shall be allowed a seven day vote, regardless of whether the RA member is present or absent at the inworld meeting where the vote is taken. However, no member of the RA shall be prevented from voting inworld at any meeting where a vote is taken, and no RA member who has voted inworld, or on the forum, can change their vote after making an official vote.
Alternative 1. Seven day votes shall only be allowed for RA members with an exused absence (recognized as such by majority vote of the RA). Otherwise, all RA members shall vote inworld at the session or shall not vote. However, no member of the RA shall be prevented from voting inworld at any meeting where a vote is taken, and no RA member who has voted inworld, or on the forum, can change their vote after making an official vote.
2. To ensure that all RA members have debated and considered regular legislation, every proposed bill (other than emergency bills) shall be read and debated at a meeting at which no vote is taken and shall be reread and debated at a later meeting, at which a vote may be taken. Other than emergency legislation, no legislation that has not received both a first and second reading in the RA shall be voted on by the RA.
3. In the current session, the RA shall meet on Sunday. All legislation shall be proposed no later than noon SL-time Thursday. The LRA shall publish a proposed agenda by posting it in the RA announcement forum by noon SL-time on Saturday. Further, while the LRA shall set the initial agenda, the agenda may be adjusted by procedural motion from the RA. However, the LRA shall put matters continued from previous sessions of the RA first on the agenda and shall put matters posted on the forums, but not delivered to the LRA, last on the agenda. Further, no non-emergency bills may be added to the agenda unless they were published timely. In future sessions, the LRA shall set the meeting day, shall publish the agenda twenty-four hours prior to the meeting, and shall set a submission deadline not more than four days before the meeting.
4. Further, all proceedings of the RA shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (in brief), 10th Ed. (2000), with the Leader of the RA acting as parliamentarian unless he or she appoints another RA member to serve as parliamentarian, in which case the appointed parliamentarian shall serve at the will and pleasure of the Leader of the RA.
Alternative 4. The RA shall follow the following procedural process for running its meetings: (i) the LRA introduces the agenda item including any proposal and asks for a proposer and seconder
(ii) the LRA gives the floor to the proposer and asks him/her to recommend the proposal to the RA
(iii) the LRA invites comments from the other RA members present
(iv) RA members must request the floor formally
(v) the LRA will say 'X has the floor'
(vi) when the member has finished the speaking s/he will hand the floor back to the LRA by saying 'Thank you Chair'
(vii) the LRA will give precedence to those members who have not spoken before over those who have
(viii) the LRA will give precedence to RA members over other citizens present but will endeavour to ensure all voices are heard
(ix) the LRA is responsible for maintaining order and preventing anyone from interrupting the speaker who has the floor
(x) as the LRA is responsible for keeping order and ensuring that the RAs business is transacted in a timely fashion, RA members must concede the floor to the LRA when s/he requests.
5. Any citizen may propose legislation to the RA by: 1. emailing the proposal to the LRA; 2. giving the LRA a proposal inworld on notecard; or 3. posting specifically proposed text in the "legislative discussion" forum in a post that specifically requests that the LRA add the proposal to the agenda.
Alternative 5. Only members of the RA may propose legislation to the RA by: 1. emailing the proposal to the LRA; 2. giving the LRA a proposal inworld on notecard; or 3. posting specifically proposed text in the "legislative discussion" forum in a post that specifically requests that the LRA add the proposal to the agenda. Citizens are encouraged to participate and to propose legislation, but should do so by contacting a member of the RA to act as a sponsor of citizen-proposed legislation. Legislation shall be considerd in the order received by the LRA, with matters continued from previous sessions considered first and matters proposed on the forums considered last (because the LRA may not read the forums until right prior to the session).
6. Finally, every session shall include, at the end of the agenda, a "for the good of the CDS discussion period" at which items not on the agenda can be introduced and discussed, but at which no votes may be taken. First readings (if such a process exists) of proposed legislation shall occur at this time. After first readings, any member of the RA may propose topics of discussion. After RA proposed discussions have completed, any citizen in attendance my propose a topic of discussion. The open discussion period shall not exceed 30 minutes in total, and no item of discussion shall exceed longer than five minutes, unless the period for overall or specific discussion is extended by procedural vote of the RA.
Beathan
Let's keep things simple enough to be fair, substantive enough to be effective, and insightful enough to be good.