The first legislative caucus has formed in order to draft a new omnibus citizenship law. The new law will definitively replace the several laws and decrees which form the basis of Sandum citizenship, and it will further alter and divide peregrina citizenship. The caucus will be led by facilitator Bee Rodgers Albina, and the Sôgmô will be the other sitting member on the caucus; other seats are still open.
Peregrina citizenship will be changed to differentiate between peregrini and exiles, where exiles will be a further restrictive form of citizenship for those who have been punished for crimes in the State of Sandus. Peregrini citizens will also see a further clarification of their suffrage rights. Currently, peregrini have the right to vote and stand for office in the Council by an historical extension of their right to petition, but how this relates to the right to vote and stand for election in other elections is not clear. Though it has not been decided by the caucus, the Sôgmô has expressed support for exempting peregrini from the Council but not higher offices in the Sandum constitution.
The caucus hopes to complete a draft for the law and to submit it to the Council for a vote by the end of the legislative session, which ends 19 July.
A caucus is the Sandum equivalent to a legislative committee or commission in other democracies. The term possibly comes from the Algonquian word caucauasu, which means a counselor or advisor. The last caucus to exist in the State of Sandus was the provisional State Caucus of Sandus, which was the steering body of the provisional government from 20 February to 13 April 2010 — after Sandus seceded from the St.Charlian Commonwealth.
sandus.org 