Excerpt from The Coruscant Evening Post

[Alzirr]

Today the Senate Interplanetary Security and Bounty Oversight Committee held its second day of hearings regarding bill 387-525/XIX. The controversial bill put forward by Senator Ko'Sahndhra of Mandalore, seeks to reform the current public bounty system.

 

The proposed changes will close up the bounty contracts awarded to civilians, and would allow the Senate to reward a single, global and exclusive Bounty hunting contract, using an auction open only to corporations and organized militia's.

 

In their testimony before the committee, several law-enforcement officials have expressed grave reservations regarding the proposed changes . General Molokai, head of the Republic Security forces on the Eastern Sector, even went as far as to question the motives and rationale behind the proposed measures. In his well known frank style of speaking, he ended his testimony this morning with "If it ain't broken, don't try to fix it".

 

According to sources familiar with the proceedings, the bill was put forward now, because of the sheer volume of lucrative bounty contracts that were offered in the last two years.

 

Even though corporations and security firms are allowed to bid for these contracts, and very often do, statistics show that clients prefer to work with individual, freelance bounty hunters. Many of big security firms see this as a missed business opportunity, and have been intensely lobbying Senators for a change in the rules.

 

Later in the day the Supreme Chancellor's office released a communique addressing the issue:

 

"The bounty system was created out of necessity during the first stages of the Reconstruction. Over the years this system has proved itself as invaluable tool in preventing crime, and reestablishing Law and Order in every corner of the Galaxy. Although the Distinguished Senator from Mandalore certainly has the right to raise issues regarding the efficiency of the system, the current Administration has no plans to change it for the foreseeable future."

 

The communique ended with "The Supreme Chancellor is of course always open for any suggestions and proposals any of the Members of the Senate may put forward, and will study them carefully."

Edited November 16, 2013 by Alzirr