2007-11-03 - Senate Business (II)

Continued from Senate Business
A broad shelf of silver durasteel, dulled with long use, extends from the side of the Senate Building and around north, well out of the way of the government's chamber above. The platform is simple and unadorned, but it is a hubbub of activity. Leaders from worlds all over the Republic land and depart again, and the open space is often crowded with trains of droids hauling luggage to or from a ship. Amidst it all efficient members of the Senate Guard guide incoming vessels and help to coordinate adequete parking.
At the two furthest corners of the platform large turbo-laser cannons stand vigilant, their barrels pointed straight skyward. Beyond these the skyline of Coruscant opens up before those privledged enough to enjoy such a view: a kilometer above the heights of the City-Proper. From here it is an shimmering sea of light.
The Corellian senate leans back against the side of the Flyer, his mantle whipping a little in the breeze. "Hello Senator Ohl. We missed you today?"
Senator Ohl, having just arrived with two of her retinue, gives a solemn double nod as she moves closer the Corellian Senator. "Yeah, affairs with Shili took precedence and pulled me away from the Senate Floor. It looks like Shili chose a bad time to have such affairs come up."
The Corellian Senator shakes his head. "Have no fear, my Honorable Friend. My brain is a little mushy from all the talk, but I don't think we did too much damage this morning. And I don't believe we didn't pass anything that can be bound up in red tape until its overtaken by something new and equally useless."
Senator Ohl inhales stoically and looks over the CorSec Flyer as she comes to a stop. A few moments later she gives an expressionless nod. One of her hands moves up to the end of one of her lekku but she suddenly looks to catch herself and returns her hands to her midriff. "Just how much did I miss?" she goes on with. "Has everything after Motion 19 already been taken care of or was it just Motion 11 before it?"
Antilles nods his head yes. "The computer started at the top and we worked our way down. First on the newest amendments of each motion and then to the motion itself. Senator Tills is ... dedicated. But I think his efforts to create perfect legislation are counter-productive. Sometimes perfect is the enemy of good enough. And sometimes it's important to cut your losses and start over."
Meena Tills comes out onto the Landing Pad from the Senate Building.
Antilles gives a look at the Shili and nods towards the Mon Calamari.
Meena Tills nods to both SEnators
Antilles nods again at the approaching Mon Calamari.
Meena Tills says, "Good day. A spirited debte," he says evenly."
Antilles smiles. "Indeed it was. Tiring, but enjoyable."
Meena Tills inclines his head to Vulhel Ohl. "And what is your view of the current proposal?"
"Honorable Senator," Senator Ohl greets with a respectful nod. "On Motion 19.2?" she asks.
Meena Tills shakes his head. "On the motion as a whole, without the amendments."
"Perhaps some would accuse me of not caring about my vote in regards to Motion 19," Senator Ohl begins, "that is, not being on the committee it would form, so it might be of no surprise that I would support it, even through amendment 19.2, though I guess I am largely in the minority on that matter."
Meena Tills raises an eyebrow. "As a Mon Calamari," Meena Tills says, "I prefer to keep Republic deliberations in the open. A private process, with a few influential members dominating it,k will only amplify the power of the majority species."
Antilles interjects: "I am against the entire motion. It circumvents the authority of the Senate. Even if 19.2 were to pass, I would still have serious misgivings about its approval."
Senator Ohl listens and nods then, turning her eyes from Senator Antilles to Senator Tills. "Are you in favor of the motion as a whole then, Senator Tills?" she asks. "I personally find that having a committee in the first place without the power to more than modify issues before they come to the Senate is -- well, I am new to the Senate, so I cannot be sure just how it will affect anything, but I imagine it would only complicate and slow down the overall process."
"I agree with Senator Antilles in principle," Meena Tills says, "in that the bill, unmodified, would take authority from the Senate. I cannot support it without amendment 19.2. At the same time, the committee is an opportunity for deliberation that would allow time for allegations of impropriety ... like a world controlled by the Hutt seeking SEnate membership ... to be revealed. I think that such a committee, having power to hold an application of membership as long as is needed to ensure allegations are i nvestigated, would have advantages, as long as it could not override the ultimate will of the Senate."
"Perhaps you are right, and perhaps it is foolhardy for me to give over the responsibility of my vote into the hands of a committee," Senator Ohl begins, "and perhaps also I am naive enough to trust others of the Senate to vote accordingly, but isn't that the objective of the committee, to represent the Senate as a whole, involving the random selection of those Senators present within the committee beyond the five, and merely to make the field a level playing field for the attempting member world? Forgive me if I am overlooking something."
Meena Tills says, "Any committee in which five Senators are permanent members, and the one hundred h ave no special experience, is designed to make those five have inordinate influence. It makes them into powers above every other senator"
Meena Tills says, "And any committee which deprives the other senators of a vote, is not designed to give them more understanding and influence on the process."
"Yes, I suppose so," Senator Ohl comments, "and there is no way to vote them out should they begin to misrepresent the Senate?" Senator Ohl pauses briefly. "Well, yes, I suppose so, but already the Senate Floor has an unstable basis of say. For instance, we all know Senator Organa holds the opinions of many worlds by his mere words, as does our Honorable Senator here, Senator Antilles. I believe the committee is designed in a way to alleviate member worlds of having that cliquish say, where with random Senatorial participation the balance is left more equalized to every member."
Antilles nods. "I must agree with Senator Tills. If power was limited to a select number of senators, there is no telling the mischief they could do. Suppose they decided to admit loyal colonies into the Senate to bolster their voting blocs." The last statement drips with irony.
Meena Tills says, "Or what if they decided to admit colonies of human worlds, but found reasons to delay or deny the applications of nonhuman colonies?? Such a goal could be accomplished quite subtly, if someone were seeking to seize power within the Senate. NMot that I accuse anyone. But the potential for abuse is there.""
Meena Tills says, "SAnd ... random? That only guarantees that the larger cliques will have larger representation."
Meena Tills says, "It changes nothing. It is the addition of the five permanent members, and the denial of votes to the full senate, that is a real change"
"I suppose it is if the five are not selected carefully," Senator Ohl confesses, "and even if they are, corruption can stem up anywhere. But I was under the impression that those five could be voted out by a three-fourths majority of sorts in the Senate or some such, though perhaps I am mixing Motions up. But I do believe that there are a few fail-safes in place when a member world is being held up. Isn't there wordage to vote a member world's application out into the full Senate?"
Meena Tills says, "Not in the bill without the amendment."
Meena Tills says, "Nor any provision for rotation or removal of the five permanent members."
"What're your opinions on Senator Organa's attempt to bring this Motion to pass as it stands, without the amendments?" Senator Ohl inquires. She smiles. "And forgive me for sounding like a reporter there." She laughs even but then grows more solemn again. "I imagine you both don't believe Senator Organa to be blind to these aspects you have detected?" She looks between both Senators questioningly.
"He has admitted that depriving the full Senate of the vote is one of the chief advantages of the Bill, from his perspective."
Antilles smiles. "I believe Senator Organa is trying to create an end run around to Senate to further his goals of 'peaceful' expansion of the Republic. If such a thing is possible without consequences."
Meena Tills nods.
Senator Ohl remains silent briefly before giving a nod. "And the fear is that he might desire to bring in worlds that would only increase his say in the senate with black, back-door bribes and supplementary support that would only strengthen his position in the Senate and basically seek to make himself something the Republic would not stand for?"
Meena Tills smiles. "I do not thinkSenator Organa is the sort to seek such things for himself. But at best he will be one of five permanent members. Who will the others be, and what will their interests be? And we must think not just about n ow, but fifty or a hundred years from now. Who knows what men would hold those positions then?"
Senator Antilles laughs at Senator Ohl. "Your pardon, my Honorable Friend. Senator Organa does not have a corrupt bone in his body. It is just I have fundamental disagreements with not only his opinions on things but on the consequences of actions."
Senator Ohl breaks another smile, an uncommon one that comes helplessly. "Your concerns have been noted," she expresses, "such that they have swayed my own. Though I /am/ curious of Senator Organa's thoughts on this." Her smile buds further and she lifts a hand to hide it. A moment later when she returns her hand to her midriff, the smile has vanished. "Thank you, Honorable Senators."
Meena Tills nods. "The recess is almost over. Shall we proceed back to the Senate?"
Senator Ohl gives a nod, one to the Senators and then another directed to her two retinue that came with her.
Antilles nods and straightens up from the Flyer. "Indeed."
Continued in Senate Business (III).
Category:November 2007 RP Logs