New Republic Senate

The New Republic Senate was the legislative and executive branch of the New Republic. It was located on Coruscant. The government of the New Republic is organized around this unicameral legislative body. The New Republic Senate is the successor of the Provisional Council and the Imperial Senate.

The Provisional Council
The ultimate goal of the Alliance was to end the Emperor’s tyrannical rule and to restore freedom and justice to the galaxy. To achieve these ends, the Rebel Alliance used tactics from subversion to large-scale military actions, such as the Battle of Endor.

The Battle of Endor and the death of the Emperor four years after the Battle of Yavin signaled the end of the Empire. One month later, the Declaration of a New Republic was issued by eight of the most important members of the Rebel Alliance setting forth the goals, values, and ideals of the new government. These eight, Chief of State Mon Mothma of Chandrila, Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, Borsk Fey'lya of Kothlis, Admiral Ackbar of Mon Calamari, Sian Tevv of Sullust, Doman Beruss of Corellia, Kerrithrarr of Kashyyyk, and Verrinnefra B’thog Indriummsegh of Elom, became the first Inner Council of the New Republic provisional government, the Provisional Council.

The First Senate
Shortly after the capture of Coruscant and the relocation of the New Republic government seven years after the Battle of Yavin, the New Republic Senate was established during Restoration Day. The speech of Princess Leia Organa, New Republic Minister of State, reflected the beliefs and principles of the First Senate:

"Today we become a galactic family – a family of the great and the small, the young and the old, with honor to all and favor to none."

Powers
The Senate was the legislative and executive power of the New Republic. It also had limited judicial authority, presumably for high-profile plaintiffs or cases too controversial for the Supreme Court. Such cases included trying Senators for treason, crimes against civilization and presumably corruption and treason of the Chief of State.

Composition
Primary members are represented in the Senate by a Senator. Each Senator has a single vote, regardless of the population represented. Affiliate members are represented on Coruscant by a Legate, who may speak in general sessions of the Senate, but may not vote on official Senate business (to avoid dual representation) or serve in the Senate's various working bodies.

As a body with a large and potentially unlimited membership, the Senate-in-whole is an almost impossibly unwieldy structure for getting work done. Consequently, most of the real governance is performed by the Senate's councils, committees, and commissions. The daily business of the Senate proper is primarily speech-making and public debate. When the Senate meets as a committee of the whole, it is sometimes referred to as the New Republic Assembly. Councils are appointed bodies with autonomous decision-making and appropriation authority over some segment of government operations outside the Senate proper (for example, the Defense Council, which oversees the New Republic Defense Fleet). The most populous and powerful members of the New Republic are disproportionately represented on the Senate's councils. Committees are elected bodies with the authority to administer various aspects of Senate operations, including the general budget. They are semi-autonomous; in the event of a unanimous committee vote, the approval of the Senate-in-whole is not required (however, the Senate-in-whole may override a less-than-unanimous committee decision with a three-to-five majority). Commissions are voluntary bodies with an advisory capacity only. They may prepare reports on issues of concern for presentation to the Chief of State, to the Minister of State, to the Supreme Commander, or to the general membership; schedule and conduct hearings; and contract for independent research