Posted on 07/07/2006 1:36:54 PM PDT by Ebenezer
(English-language translation)
[Puerto Rico] Senate President Kenneth McClintock expressed hope yesterday that, before the next legislative session ends, a measure that will change the legislative system to a unicameral one will be drafted.
Yesterday, McClintock attended the Senate Government Committee hearings on the bills that include the unicamerality proposals. He reiterated then that he believes in bicamerality, but that, given popular support for unicamerality, he will look into having the best legislation to create a single chamber.
In addition, he expects that the next consultation on changes to the legislative system will be celebrated in May of next year and not July as the present law stipulates. By January 2009, the new legislative system will be in force.
The law that prompted last year's consultation on unicamerality establishes that a single-chamber system proposal must be presented to the people in July 2007. But McClintock is promoting an amendment so that the referendum takes place in May because electoral consultations in July have never been successful.
During the hearing, McClintock said that the [proposed] legislative body should consist of 39 legislators, which is half of the 78 legislators that presently comprise the House of Representatives and the Senate [combined]. Of the 39 legislators, seven will be at-large. The remaining 32 legislators will be from eight districts, four to a district.
In his judgement, reducing the at-large legislators "reduces the influence from legislators who are not from a specific locality, but preserves the enriching experience brought by legislators who do not represent specific regional interests."
From each district, three legislators will be chosen from political parties and four will be independents. In [McClintock's] judgement, those legislators will have more freedom of opinion, and "in turn, induce the party caucuses to free their members to vote according to their consciences in the largest number of matters in which programmatic commitments are not at stake and which should not be subject to iron-bound party discipline."
The at-large legislators would not belong to political parties either. Each voter may vote for three at-large legislators.
In his judgement, reducing the number of legislators who answer to political parties will increase negotiation and debate in the Legislature, which will be necessary since the present double-review system with the two legislative chambers will not exist.
The members of the Government Committee asked what alternatives there are to replace the double review of bills that presently exists. McClintock pointed out that a double approval of measures may be mandated.
The Senate leader said that the president of this unicameral legislature will be chosen by the majority of the legislators.
During the hearing, [McClintock] clarified that, although he submitted the bill the Bar Association promotes, he opposes it. He presented the measure at the request of attorneys who yesterday came to defend their proposals.
ping
Unicamerality - wow. A new word for me - and sounds like a really bad idea to have slots reserved for independents.
Let's get rid of the U.S. Senate - - or at the very least, go back to appointing senators by the states.
Senators were never appointed by the states. They were originally elected by the state legislatures.
These con-artists are paying themselves more per year (is it $130,000?) than their corrupt counterparts stateside make. Plus, they've 'legislated' themselves cars, bodyguards, drivers, a couple thousand dollar car allowance per month, etc.
McClintock's plan sounds like it makes the situation worse.
Instead of 2 houses full of thieving 'Rats', McClinton's plan puts them all in one big house.
Have you seen any numbers on this, rrstar96?
"Have you seen any numbers on this, rrstar96?"
No, I haven't. I do know, however, that Nebraska is the only state of the Union with a unicameral legislature. I wonder how it has worked for the Cornhuskers.
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