Military Creation Act/Legends

"I love democracy... I love the Republic. The power you give me I will lay down when this crisis has abated, I promise you."

- Supreme Chancellor Palpatine

"I have not fought for a year to defeat the Military Creation Act to not be here when its fate is decided."

- Senator Padme Amidala

The Military Creation Act was a bill proposed in the Galactic Senate ten years after the Battle of Naboo. Written in response to the growing number of worlds seceding from the Galactic Republic, and the rise of political hostility to the central authority on Coruscant, the act was meant to reestablish a formal military within the structure of the Republic, which had been scaled down considerably after the New Sith Wars. Prior to the act, the security of the Republic was maintained through local police, the operation of the Jedi Order and their coordinating activities with the Judicial Department, a branch of the Office of the Supreme Chancellor. For two years the Senate debated on whether or not to vote, but Supreme Chancellor Palpatine finally ordered a vote two months before the start of the Clone Wars.

It remains unknown which Senator originally proposed the act, though it drew much support from Militarist senators such as Orn Free Taa of Ryloth, Aks Moe of Malastare, and Onaconda Farr of Rodia. Opposition was led by Padmé Amidala of Naboo, Tendau Bendon of Ithor, and Eeshrin Ot'Hyne of Caamas. Palpatine was publicly neutral, but in private conversations, he revealed to the Jedi Council that he was trying to delay the vote as long as he could. The contents of the bill were never made public beyond the Senate.

However, the bill was never officially brought to a vote, as the discovery of a Separatist military on Geonosis spurred the remaining Loyalist Senators to grant Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers, which he used to create a Grand Army of the Republic based on the clone troopers of Kamino.

Passage of the Act was backed by such groups as the Stark Veteran Assembly and the Academy of Carida. When a mock version of the Act was voted on by the Legislative Youth Program, it passed with 52% in support and 48% opposed.