A view of the Capitol building (Soundland Government). The 2nd National Senate met today in the Capitol building for the first time since the recent election. Newly elected senators took their oaths of office, swearing to defend the constitution and to fulfill their responsibilities to the people of Soundland. The major issue on the agenda was the selection of a Speaker for the new term. Senator Joah Blair, the only current incumbent member of the National Senate, was re-elected as Speaker 3 to 1. Blair won the vote of confidence against another senator who had put themselves forward as an alternative, but members deferred to Blair's experience as the Speaker of the prior term. After the election, senators then broke into deliberation to coordinate on the issues of sponsoring important bills. The new National Senate has their work cut out for them, as they look to work through a backlog of legislation. In addition, senators will be confirming the appointments of several new secretaries after the expected passage of bills establishing new Justice and Culture departments, as well as filling existing open posts in government. Today's session laid the groundwork for the new legislative term, mixing fresh faces with experience leadership.

The Department of State has issued a stark warning to Soundlandian citizens regarding travel to the United States, strongly advising citizens to reconsider trips to Florida and Texas and to be be aware of other dangers when traveling to the United States. In a statement published today , the Department of State has advised citizens, in particular those belonging to minority groups, to reconsider travel plans to Florida and Texas. The Department cited persistent and ongoing systematic attacks on minorities, erosion of civil and human rights, and a disregard for the rule of law by state authorities. The statement underscored that the current administrations in these states have "actively fostered an environment of hate and extremism" targeting minorities. The State Department highlighted several the passage of legislation in Florida and Texas targeting abortion freedoms, LGBTQIA+ rights, and political and civil liberties. The advisory warned that Soundlandian citizens traveling to Florida or Texas may face an elevated risk of rights violations and targeted violence, both from state authorities and private individuals. It cautioned that individuals belonging to minority groups, including racial and sexual minorities, may encounter hostility and discriminatory treatment that could jeopardize their safety and well-being. Moreover, the statement issued notice of potential dangers associated with participating in protests within the United States. Citing a history of unnecessarily aggressive law enforcement tactics against both protesters and bystanders, the advisory underscored the lack of guaranteed rights for individuals participating in demonstrations and the chance for injury. The statement urged Soundlandian citizens to exercise extreme caution and awareness when in proximity to a demonstration in the United States. Additionally, the advisory highlighted the high rate of gun violence in the United States, noting the prevalence of mass shootings and widespread gun ownership. The State Department advised citizens who do opt to disregard warnings should have emergency contacts, beware of a local developments at all times and that Republic of Soundland may not be able to assist travelers in a a emergency. The Department of State's advisory serves as a critical reminder of the importance of safety and awareness for Soundlandian citizens considering travel abroad particularly to places deemed high risk or suffering a degradement of civil rights.

A group of signed copies of the bills passed yesterday by the Nation Senate. (Photo by President Morber via Instagram) In a session held yesterday, The National Senate passed a series of significant legislation, ranging from placing Cascadian Dollar into circulation, to establishing new government departments, to new Soundlandian holidays. Introducing the Cascadian Dollar A highlight of the session was the passage of the National Currency and Economy Act , which officially codifies the Cascadian Dollar as Soundland’s national currency and provides for methods to move it into circulation. This landmark legislation not only formally declares the Cascadian Dollar status as legal tender, but introduces a stimulus program aimed at jumpstarting an economy in Soundland. The National Economic Stimulus Program, or NESP, is designed to provide a one-time cash disbursement of $135 to every citizen, who requests it, giving all Soundlandians cash to participate in the economy with. Future citizens are also eligible under the act. A sample front and back image of a $20 Cascadian Dollar banknote (National Bank of Soundland). To receive the stimulus payment, citizens will need to submit a simple application form to the National Bank of Soundland. Currently, the form is not yet available to the public but is expected to be competed by the NBS soon, and citizens will be notified when they may request their cash payment. The National Bank of Soundland, which had previously been solely focused on developing and launching the Cascadian Dollar, will now take the helm of setting the monetary and economic policy of Soundland. A Department of Justice The Department of Justice and Civil Security Establishment Act establishes a Department of Justice and Civil Security, or DJCS, which will be responsible for prosecuting violations of national law through both criminal prosecution and civil litigation. The Department will have a comprehensive mandate that includes investigating and prosecuting legal violations, safeguarding civil rights, and representing Soundland in all legal matters before the courts. It will have the power to investigate government agencies and officials. The new department will also oversee the National Police, previously an independent force. The National Police will handle the civil security aspects of the department's mandate, including day-to-day law enforcement, maintaining the public order, responding to emergencies, and investigating local crimes, similar to its task before . The Department in contrast, like many of its foreign counterparts, will focus on higher-level functions and crimes. A Department for Culture & History Establishing another Department is the Department of Culture and Heritage Establishment Act . This legislation creates a dedicated body to manage and enhance Soundland’s cultural and historical assets, and to promote Soundland culture and history. The Department will have the authority to establish state-owned museums, historical sites, and national monuments, while also supporting cultural and artistic projects and events. Secretaries to Be Appointed President Morber is expected to nominate candidates for appointment as secretaries to the new departments as soon as the acts take effect. The National Senate then will conduct interviews with the candidates and then hold a vote to confirm their appointments. A Set of New National Holidays The National Holidays Act brings a significant expansion to Soundland's official holidays. Previously, Independence Day on August 2 was the only recognized national holiday. The new Act introduces several new national holidays, including Cascadia Day on May 18, which celebrates the region's cultural heritage; Presidents Day on July 7, honoring national leadership; Indigenous People's Day on the second Monday of October, recognizing the contributions of Indigenous communities; and Winter Solstice, marking the shortest day of the year and celebrating the natural cycles of the earth. Additionally, the Act mandates paid time off for employees on these holidays and ensures fair compensation for those working during these periods. President Morber Issues Statement on Signing New Legislation President Morber expressed his enthusiasm about the recent legislation in a Instagram post, highlighting the significance of the newly enacted laws. He remarked, “I am pleased and honored to sign into law these acts of the National Senate, the first batch of the new legislative term. Among them: new departments of justice and culture, an act providing for the Cascadian Dollar to be sent out to citizens, and brand new national holidays! I look forward to working with my government to implement these acts and nominating my picks for secretaries.” These landmark pieces of legislation, only the first part of a legislative agenda being moved forward by the new National Senate, are set to greatly change Soundland for the better, from the moving of the Cascadian Dollar into circulation, to the enrichment of Soundlandian culture.

The yearly elections to elect senators to the unicameral National Senate are held from May 17 to May 19. The 2024 election for the National Senate is quickly approaching, with the election just days away. The National Senate of the Republic of Soundland is elected every year in a election that lasts from the 17th to 19th of May. This is the second only National Senate election after the ratification of the new constitution last year, which established the young legislature. Registration to run for the National Senate closed on May 8th, and tonight the Soundland Government sent a informational election newsletter to all citizens in an effort to inform voters about the candidates running and of election details. The newsletter includes biographies and election statements provided by candidates that will be displayed on the ballot later this week. The Soundland Government hopes to continue the relatively high turnout of the last elections, with last year's National Senate election having a 60% turnout rate. The majority of candidates running in this year's election are independents and are newcomers to the political stage. One who is not new to politics is incumbent Speaker Joah Blair, party leader of the Soundland Unity Party. The Liberal Democratic Republicans, who currently hold two seats in the National Senate, did not register any candidates for this election. The current composition of the National Senate. President Morber has said that he looks forward to the new National Senate and is eager to work on progressing important legislative agendas that the first term has not passed, such as the National Currency and Economy Act, which would establish a Soundlandian economy by sending out a cash stimulus of Cascadian Dollars to all citizens, an act that would amend parts of the Constitution "in the interests of clarity and effectiveness", and other acts that would develop Soundland, both culturally as well as its legal frameworks. Soundlandians will be electing senators using a system called Ranked-Choice-Voting, or RCV for short, which allows voters to rank candidates by preference so that if their first choice doesn't win, their vote goes to their second choice, and so on. RCV is set by the Constitution of Soundland as the system for all Presidential and National Senate elections. To vote, Soundland uses secure online election software that makes voting accessible and easy for Soundlandians. Voters will receive a unique link in their email on the 17th that connects them to their ballot.

The 2024 election for the National Senate took place from May 17 to May 19 and resulted in a 41% turnout rate. The 2024 election for the National Senate concluded Sunday, and on Monday the Soundland Government officially announced the result. The Government reported a turnout of 41%. There was one ballot cast as abstain. All of the three independents and the one Soundland Unity Party candidate who ran were elected to the National Senate after only one round of RCV procedure, and all but the incumbent SUP Speaker Joah Blair were new on the ballot. Incumbent Speaker Blair won a healthy but decreased majority of the vote, with 46.15% of voters casting their first choice vote for him. However, it still remans to be seen if this high electoral polling will transfer into a second speakership for Mr. Blair. A chart showing the change in composition of the National Senate between 2023 and 2024. There was a major gain the amount of independent Senators, while the LDR and SLP put forward no candidates for the 2024 election. (Soundland Government) It has been speculated that some of the independent candidates may form a political party after the fact, but that possibility has not been confirmed, and it is uncertain how many of the independents would be a part of the new party. The first sitting of the second National Senate is expected to take place shortly. Senators will elect a Speaker and prepare work on important business, including the introduction and passage of crucial acts that expired with the First National Senate. In addition, before any business is taken up, it is expected that the new session will, for the first time, adopt Standing Rules that will govern the National Senate and set parliamentary procedure.

Today, to great excitement, this website for the Republic of Soundland finally went live just in time for the international summit Microcon 2023. Construction on this website has been ongoing for roughly three years. Soundlandgov.org will serve both non citizens and Soundlandians by providing informational and educational resources about Soundland and providing government services and resources for its citizens, including helping to provide transparent governance by easy access to government information, documents, news and items. Coinciding with the launch of this website, social media accounts were also launched. You can find the official Soundland government Twitter and YouTube accounts at @soundlandgov. The Soundland Instagram account, also @soundlandgov, was pushed back due to technical problems.

The Capital building, shortly before the inauguration ceremony. (Soundland Government) Yesterday, at 2:00 in the afternoon, President Morber was sworn into his second term on the deck of the capital building by recently confirmed High Justice Trachtenberg. President Morber and his running mate were both elected for a second term on June 19, when they ran unopposed due to no other candidate submitting a bid. President Morber has promised to continue and expand upon his initiatives in office in his second term, focusing on internal development of Soundland, diplomatic relations and passing packages meant to build a legal framework in Soundland and create progressive policies. President Morber signaled that he looked forward to working with the parties in the National Senate to accomplish his legislative goals. This was the first inauguration in Soundland's history, as the new constitution was only recently passed this year. The new constitution shortened presidential terms from four to two years, triggering an election for President Morber and his VP after three years in office. The constitution of Soundland set this oath that all president and vice president-elects must take before the start of their term: "I, do solemnly swear and affirm that I will faithfully serve Soundland and its people, to faithfully execute the powers of my office, to promote the ideals of democracy, liberty and equality, and that I will uphold, abide by and defend, to the best of my ability, the constitution of the Republic of Soundland." Thus marks a historic day for Soundland. The inauguration ceremony not only reaffirms President Morber's mandate but also highlights the democratic values that Soundland cherishes.

President Morber standing inside the Lincoln Memorial (Office of the President). President Morber has returned from a five day trip to Washington DC. During his tour of the city, he engaged in a variety of activities, including visits to iconic landmarks such as the American Capitol Building, White House, Lincoln Memorial, and Embassy Row. In addition, he met with youth from around the world who are engaged with politics and international relations, marking his focus on the involvement of youth in today's issues. This is the first time that Morber has visited the US capital since Soundland's independence in 2020. Throughout the busy visit, Morber highlighted the importance of upholding democracy and democratic ideals, and how the actions that resulted in Soundland's independence must not be allowed to happen again. President Morber at a statue of Mahatma Gandhi outside the Indian embassy. (Office of the President) The trip was a overall success, putting a light on the Morber administration's support of pro-democracy efforts in the nation ahead of the 2024 elections, the work done by the current American government, as well as Morber's commitment to foreign outreach, protecting the rights of all people, and youth involvement at the table of a world facing monumental challenges.

FILE - A view of the Capital Building in Sunset State (Soundland Government). In a statement released yesterday evening, the Office of the President announced significant changes in the leadership of two key national security and defense roles. According to the official statement, on Thursday the The Director of the State Intelligence Service and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, E. Vinoly was relieved of his duties by President Morber. The statement reports that the President views this move as a necessary step to ensure the efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity of the nation's security and defense apparatus. The President's office says that this move will bring fresh perspectives and help foster innovation within these critical roles, and that the President has initiated a process to identify qualified individuals to fill these key roles. It was not reported that Director Vinoly had been assigned another role in the Government or Armed Forces. Vinoly had served in his positions since the nations independence in August of 2020.

Today, the Office of the President confirmed in a press statement that President Morber would be attending Microcon 2023, an international summit of world leaders from across North America in Chicago. President Morber has previously attended Microcon 2022, originally set for 2020, but held back due to COVID-19. The statement released by the Office of the President said the following: "The Office of the President is pleased to formally announce that tomorrow, President Morber will be traveling to Chicago to participate in the highly anticipated Microcon 2023 Summit. Microcon, a biennial summit of micronationalist government representatives and heads of state, will convene in Chicago from June 30th to July 2nd. There, President Morber will engage with other leaders from across North America in diplomacy and represent our nation on the world stage. In addition, President Morber will be signing a treaty at the summit with the Republic of Excelsior." President Morber is honored to again represent Soundland after Microcon 2022, and appreciates the unique chance of attending two years in a row, due to the decision to switch back to the original schedule after Covid-19.