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**Amerion** · 01-30-2020, 07:22 PM

Currently there are two bills at a vote (Amendment to the Charter and the Amendment to the Regional Officers Act) which contain addendums to the same provision but are inconsistent with one another. While it appears that one of these amendments will not achieve the threshold necessary to pass, it was possible at one point that both would and be therefore in conflict. There have been instances in the past where other errors were made in bills that went to a vote but which could be resolved later on with the Chair's discretionary powers. This present situation, however, highlights an issue which this Assembly should consider — that being whether we should make allowance for the Chair to close votes which have been found to have errors in them, send them back to the Assembly's main chamber for corrections to be made accordingly, before bringing the bill back up to a vote?

**Belschaft** · 01-30-2020, 08:03 PM

Strictly speaking an argument could be made that the bills in question fall under the competing bills provision, as they both amended the same section of the same law.

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**Amerion** · 01-30-2020, 09:20 PM

(01-30-2020, 08:03 PM)Belschaft Wrote: Strictly speaking an argument could be made that the bills in question fall under the competing bills provision, as they both amended the same section of the same law.

Technically, yes. However, these addendums are secondary to the primary purpose of the amendments. For example, one amendment seeks to create a WA ministry but also seeks to allocate the slots assigned to Regional Officers. As such, people may vote down that bill with the intention of preventing the creation of the ministry even though they may be supportive of the amendment relating to ROs.

***Tsunamy*** · 01-31-2020, 11:35 AM

I'm a tad confused about this. I think the most recent vote work would be the one we'd enact.

However, I think it would also be up to the chair's discretion to hold conflicts bills of this caliber so they aren't being voted on at the same time, no?

Relatedly, yes, I think the chair could/should be able to close a vote if the error was caught after the fact.

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**Amerion** · 02-01-2020, 02:52 AM

(01-31-2020, 11:35 AM)Tsunamy Wrote: I'm a tad confused about this. I think the most recent vote work would be the one we'd enact.

I would think so too. However, there is no law saying as such as well as no guidance provided to Legislators stipulating this. It's a grey area which should be resolved.

(01-31-2020, 11:35 AM)Tsunamy Wrote: However, I think it would also be up to the chair's discretion to hold conflicts bills of this caliber so they aren't being voted on at the same time, no?

Relatedly, yes, I think the chair could/should be able to close a vote if the error was caught after the fact.

The issue should be remedied before it goes to a vote but mistakes are possible; sometimes we don't pay as much attention as we should Sad

(This post was last modified: 02-01-2020, 02:52 AM by Amerion.)