Performance requirements should be applied for elected represenataives in both houses.
The following should be considered as minimum performance:
- Attending 90% of votes
- Attending 90% of committee meetings where they are a voting member
- Monthly town halls or other constituent face-to-face meetings
- Constitutionality pre-approval for any bills presented
- Elected alternate provided in case of disability
- Fitness for duty evaluation when returning after disability leave
Penalties should be enacted for failure to meet the minimum performance:
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Constitutionality test for each bill prior to presentation and reading - This would prevent the enactment of unconstutional bills which unjustly harm people, remove their freedoms, and damage them economically in ways that cannot be reversed when a law is successfully overturned for constitutional reasons. All laws passed would be pre-tested for being constitutionally sound. Any bill that is presented that has not been pre-vetted for constitutionality should be automatically returned without a vote. Presentation of 2 or more un-vetted bills should result in a 10% financial deduction from the rep’s annual salary, with 7% deduction for each additional un-vetted bill >2. (2 bills = 10%, 3 bills = 17%, 4 bills = 24%). If they submit more than 4 un-vetted bills, they should be restricted from presenting any additional bills for 6 months.
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Financial penalties for reps that miss >10% of votes or committee meetings - The exact % is negotiable, but some fairly high expectation for showing up to do their jobs should be required. For example, if they do not attend the required 90% of votes, their annual salary is docked by the % of votes they missed during the year. (Missed 15%, annual wages are docked 15%) If they miss >10% of committee meetings where they are a voting member, their annual salary is docked by the % of meetings they missed. (Missed 5 of 15 meetings, their salary is docked by 30%.)
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Public Availability at least Monthly - Elected reps must make themselves available to constituents in face-to-face settings at least monthly (12 times minimum, distributed throughout the year, roughly monthly). This could include public forums or town hall meetings where constituents are able to provide feedback and ask questions of the rep. These may include on-line add-ons for those who cannot attend in person, but the events must include face-to-face options for those who can attend in person. These events must be publicly announced via multiple channels to reach those that do not consume main stream media. If the elected rep fails to provide 12 (aproximately monthly) meeting / feedback opportunities, their annual wages are docked 5% for every meeting less than 12 they provide. (If they provide only 9 meetings, they are docked 15% of their annual salary.)
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Elected Alternate Reps - If there is some long-term emergency that prevents their attending (say, a catistrophic injury) and which results in their missing >10% of votes or attendance at committee meetings (where they are voting member), there should be a requirement for the rep to A) step down, with a special election to replace them within 30 days, or B) a previously elected alternate rep to be in place. Depending on the circumstances, the position may be returned to the initial rep if they are able to return to work and have passed physical and mental evaluations, or the alternate may remain in place for the duration of the term.
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Fitness for Duty - To determine fitness for duty when a rep returns after mental or physical extended leave, mental and physical evaluators must be independent of either party and have a track record of non-political performance, or evaluators from 3 parties (D, R, Independent) must each perform the evaluations, and a conclusion reached.