What is a single subject rule?
A single subject rule, which 41 U.S. states have in one form or another, is a rule that prohibits legislative proposals from addressing more than one issue. For example, an act regulating lethal weapons could not also contain a provision legalizing bigamy.
What are the benefits of a single subject rule generally?
A single subject rule makes it less likely that a proposal will deceive voters. Limiting a proposal's scope to one issue ensures a certain degree of simplicity, and it prevents authors from attaching undesirable riders to otherwise popular pieces of legislation.
Would the General Assembly, in particular, derive any other benefits?
Yes, by banning omnibus proposals, we would be giving more authors more opportunities to legislate on more issues. No longer would it be possible for an individual to write a catch-all resolution that effectively blocks off all future proposals in an area (that is popular). Such resolutions detract from this part of the game as they force players into the realms of obscure, unsexy dilemmas (e.g., the plight of declawed felines) or dissuade them from getting involved in the General Assembly altogether.
How would you propose enforcing a single subject rule?
Legal researchers have found that judges' rulings in single subject challenges become significantly more subjective and dependent on personal political views when the constitutional, statutory, or case law requires aggressive enforcement. A restrained, deferential approach, on the other hand, guarantees that adjudicators of all persuasions almost always reach the same decisions. Thus, in the case of the General Assembly, I would propose that moderators interpret our single subject rule somewhat broadly (e.g., a proposal on biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons is acceptable), limiting themselves to striking down only those proposals that quite clearly are overbroad and deal with multiple issues (e.g., a carbon emissions proposal that would make condoms free in all high schools).
Tentatively, here's what the wording for a single subject rule could look like: