[Ben]: | Legislative Responsibility Pt. 1 | Discuss This [0 comments so far] View Comments | My dream:
Every word of every bit of legislation must be attributed to someone. Some legislator must take responsibility for every, single sentence. If and when the law is struck down as unConstitutional, the legislator or legislators responsible for the illegal aspects of the law must go on trial along with the member of the Executive branch that signed it into law (President, Governor, Mayor, whatever).
The trial must be public and should seek to determine if there is sufficient mens rea to convict them for intentional violation of the Constitution of the United States of America. If, on one hand, the criminal intent is not sufficiently present, the defendants will simply have their term truncated effective immediately, and must undergo supplementary Constitutional instruction before they can run for any public office again. If, on the other hand, they are shown to have knowingly circumvented the Constitution, in addition to their term ending immediately, they can never serve in any public office again as well as paying whatever fine the judge levies as reparation for the violation. When a politician is removed from office, the opponent in the most recent election with the next most votes takes their job.
I want politicians to think before they pass a law. I want them to sweat when they write a law, and use their weaselly brains to eliminate ways that a prospective law might be abused rather than look for ways to slip little things in. |
| 2008-06-23 Permanent Link: Legislative Responsibility Pt. 1 |