PHILIPSBURG – It is Parliament’s policy that initiative draft laws presented to Parliament and whose authors are no longer Members of Parliament, can be further promoted by the faction to which the initiative taker belonged.
This is the case with the change to the permit ordinance and the “legal” drinking age. One would recall that the Lion’s Club has been an advocate for the legal drinking age to be established at 18. This is the case in the penal code, however, the permit ordinance that regulates the sale of alcohol, prohibits the sale of alcohol to persons below the age of 16.
This discrepancy was addressed in Parliament during a meeting with representatives of the Lion’s Club.
Former Member of Parliament (MP) and present Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Silveria Jacobs, presented an initiative draft law, amending the permit ordinance to bring this in line with the penal code. This draft went to the Council of Advice, was commented on and the former MP reacted to the advice of the CoA.
This draft therefore is ready for handling in a central committee meeting for parliament.
“Given the policy of parliament that in the absence of the initiative taker, the respective faction can further the draft initiative law. I have recommended to the faction leader of the NA (the faction of the initiator) to take up this matter and present it to Parliament for further handling,” Minister Jacobs stated.
