T Labienus Fortunatus Quiritibus Romae Novae SPD

I stand before you once again clad in the toga candida, asking you to 
help me ascend yet another rung on the cursus honorum.  I have served 
the Res Publica as one of Her first rogatores, and gave sufficient 
service to be elevated to the Senate.  Forbidden by law from running for 
office as a rogator, I spent the next year serving as a scriba to censor 
C Marius Merullus and an accensus to consul M Minucius Audens.  Last 
year, I worked as a tribunus plebis with consul Fl Vedius Germanicus in 
order to make our tribuni both more historical and more useful to the 
Res Publica.  I am currently a Senator and our sole praetor.  Though few 
of our leges bear my name, I have directly influenced at least a quarter 
of the laws in the Tabularium.  In short, I am firmly dedicated to 
sustaining and improving Nova Roma.

If elected, my primary efforts will be directed toward gens reform, the 
blasphemy and sovereignty clauses of the constitution, list moderation 
and libel, face-to-face meetings, and the religious duties of consul.

I firmly believe that Nova Roma must legally recognize real families if 
She is to grow into something more than just another history-oriented 
playground like the SCA.  At the same time, our current gens system has 
much to offer, and in some cases it has been extremely successful at 
building the sense of community that Nova Roma so desperately needs. 
Therefore, I will form a committee to examine the issue in order to 
craft legislation which will both recognize Roman familiae and further 
foster active and worthwhile gentes.

The blasphemy clause of the constitution was born out of a desire to 
ensure that the Religio Romana remains the basis upon which Nova Roma 
rests, and not to deny any civis the rights of free speech and religious 
freedom.  Nor was it meant to make anyone feel unwelcome or uneasy.  If 
elected, I will therefore work to enact a measure along the lines of L 
Sicinius Drusus' excellent ideas that rephrases this section of the 
constitution and more clearly defines its intent and extent.

The sovereignty clause of the constitution is an incredibly powerful 
guarantor of our cives' rights.  It is so powerful that it effectively 
interferes with any attempt to create a corpus of Nova Roman civil law. 
  If elected, I will work to very carefully rewrite this section of the 
constitution to free our legislators to do their job while 
simultaneously establishing firm and clear guides that shall continue to 
protect our cives from invasive government.

While the recent controversies to visit the main list have been somewhat 
distasteful at times, I do think that the forum has been reasonably well 
moderated.  However, as has been pointed out more than once, such 
moderation opens the Res Publica to the danger of suit over words 
written in the heat of the moment.  I will research our legal options to 
protect ourselves against this eventuality.

While the events that occur in our virtual forum are quite important, it 
is our physical meetings that will really allow us to grow into a true 
nation.  I will seek at every turn to challenge and enable our 
propraetores to hold events and build a sense of community within their 
provinciae.

Last, and by no means least, I will work with the Collegium Pontificum 
to ensure that every religious duty of the consules is met.  While I do 
not have the resources to purchase white heifers or hold grand 
processions through the center of Rome, I will endeavor to do everything 
that my abilities and resources can bear to meet the religious 
obligations of the office I seek.

And, finally, while I hope that you will vote for me, I strongly 
encourage you to vote for the candidate that your reason and your 
conscience favor.  It is your votes that determine Nova Roma's course. 
A slight turn at an early stage in the journey can make a huge 
difference by the time the ship reaches its destination.  Consider your 
options well and be sure that your voice is heard.

Valete

INDEX