Talk Elections

I am creating a legislation submission thread for members of the Northeast Assembly to submit their ideas. The speaker will hold all pieces of legislation up for a vote. :)

Amendment to the SOAP (Standing Order on Assembly Procedure)

Section 1, subsection A of the SOAP is amended to read

(a) The Speaker or Lieutenant Governor shall open a new Northeast Assembly Legislation Introduction Thread at the start of each session, or the one from the previous session may be carried over into the next session, at the Speaker's discretion.

My colleague Governor Tmthforu94 has lent a helping hand to the Northeast by authoring this Constitutional amendment. I am submitting it and sponsoring it on his behalf:


The Northeast Assembly can choose how many members they wish to have in the Assembly, but I am asking the Northeast Assembly to cut the number down from 8.

Motion to impeach Lt. Gov. Fezzyfestoon for dereliction of duty.

I shall sponsor this, as I'm not sure if the Governor can be an official 'sponsor' (what with friendly amendments and what not.)

Nullification Resolution

The Northeast Assembly asserts its authority, when a federal law, order, treaty, ruling, regulation etc. is unconstitutional (either being not contained within the powers enumerated by the the constitution, or otherwise in violation of the rights guaranteed by the constitution), to declare that Federal action to be illegal, and to prevent its being enforced within the Northeast with appropriate legislation.

Nullification Resolution Amendment 1 (these would be all friendly, obviously, but I want each part to be voted on separately).

The Northeast Assembly acknowledges that the Governor is Commander-in-Chief of all military, paramilitary, and militia forces raised at the regional level, and that they may not be placed under Federal command without permission from the Governor.

Nullification Resolution Amendment 2

The Northeast Assembly acknowledges the authority of state and local governments, when a regional law, order, treaty, agreement, regulation etc. is unconstitutional (either being not contained within the powers enumerated by the the regional constitution, or otherwise in violation of the rights guaranteed by the regional constitution), to declare that regional action to be illegal, and to prevent its being enforced within their state or local borders with appropriate legislation.

The Random Statist Mandate Act (RSM) - Will Dallasfan Vote for It?

1. As of April 1, 2011, all schools and workplaces will be required to provide chocolate to anyone who requests it, charging no more that $0.

2. The amount of chocolate provided must be sufficient.

3. The chocolate must be suitably high-quality.

4. Schools and workplaces must also provide toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss free of cost to prevent tooth decay from the chocolate.

5. Schools and workplaces must also keep their restroom sinks to a reasonable degree of cleanliness, so that they may be used for oral hygienic purposes.

6. An independent commission shall be created to enforce these regulations.

7. The independent commission shall be empowered to impose fines of no more than seventy trillion dollars ($70,000,000,000,000) for violations of these regulations.

8. The independent commission shall be empowered to create any additional regulations necessary or useful to the enforcement of those above.

The Theft Prevention Act of 2010

1.  The Governor is hereby authorized to use any means at his disposal to prevent revenues from all taxes, subscriptions, charges, fees etc. collected by the Republic of Atlasia from reaching the Treasury UNLESS

i.  The Senate passes by a simple majority, and the President signs, a resolution specifically requesting said revenues from the Northeast.

And EXCEPT

ii.  For all voluntary and/or "a la carte" fees charged for individual federal government goods and services.

Much thanks to Governor Tmthforu94 for writing this. :)

I'll sponsor that as our next order of business after this bill.

1.  The Bipartisan Safe Sex Education Act is amended to allow students to voluntarily withdraw from sex education, or at the request of their parents.

2.  The Northeastern Green Jobs Act is hereby repealed.

3.  The Northeastern Home Ownership Protection Act of 2009 is hereby repealed.

4.  The Sustainable Forestry Act is hereby repealed.

5.  The second amendment to the Northeast Gun Safety Act is hereby repealed.

6.  Sections 2 and 3 of the Practical Labor Policy Redux are hereby repealed.

7.  The Combat HIV/AIDS Act of 2010 is hereby repealed.  Any existing needle exchanges will be provided with $100,000 to continue operation as nonprofit organizations.

8.  The Prisoner Diet Reform Act is hereby repealed.

Are we still using this thread or starting a new one?

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Wind Farm Act

1) Immediately allow establishment of wind farms on the entire continental shelf of the Northeast region.
2) Only big, slow rotating windmills that don't kill birds will be allowed.
3) Any project can only be challenged on the basis of adverse impact to species covered under the endangered species act, and not for any other reason, including the opposition of coastal residents.
4) The state can take part ownership of projects up to 49% in order to help startups and companies wanting to share the risk. Profits realized from the endeavor will be shared with the state, with profit sharing being proportional to ownership.
5) The state will assist utilities in building transmission lines to transport this energy from the coast. Improvements to the existing grid shall be made to accomodate this increase in electricity production and to deliver it efficiently to population centers.
6) Funding for provisions 4 and 5 shall come from the repeal of the Freedom to Drive Act (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=102877.msg2431750#msg2431750). The Regional Gas Tax rate goes back to the level before the imposition of the moratorium.

The NAME Act

1.  Every citizen of the Northeast has a right to have a name of their own choosing.

2.  In order to legally change one's name, only the completion of a government-provided form is required.  Filing fees will be subsidized by the government.

3.  No change of name may be rejected, as long as it meets the requirement of being in Unicode characters.

4.  If the name change is fraudulent, he or she may be sued within a year after the name change, and a court may order the change reversed.  This may only be done if the person obtaining the name change had only fraudulent intent.

5.  A minor that is fourteen or older may change his or her name freely.

6.  No limit on the number of name changes one can obtain may be established.

7.  The same procedure will be required for a name change after marriage or divorce.

8.  The Northeast Assembly supports the right of women to keep their surname after marriage, and supports the right of men to take their female partner's surname after marriage.

The Self-Ownership Act (Or, the If You Are Pro-Choice and You Oppose This Then You Are a Hypocrite Act)

1. All persons are defined as the sole owners of their bodily organs.
2. Any non-minor person who has not been deemed mentally incompetent by a judge shall be allowed to sell their non-essential organs (such as the kidneys, skin, and spleen) to others.
3. Any organ removal surgery must be performed under standard levels of anesthesia and cleanliness by a licensed surgeon.
4. The surgeon must inform the donor of the potential risks of organ removal surgery.
5. All donors must be blood-tested for diseases transmittable through organ donation surgery.
6. A surgeon may, at his or her own discretion, declare a person mentally incompetent for the purposes of selling his or her bodily organs.
7. Unlawfully coercing a person to sell his or her bodily organs shall be a felony punishable by not less than 60 months in prison and/or a fine of not less than $50,000.  Attempting to unlawfully coerce a person to sell his or her bodily organs shall be a felony punishable by not less than 30 months in prison and/or a fine of not less than $25,000.
8. Persons with valid organ donor cards shall be eligible for a $500 yearly tax credit.

The Public Safety Act of 2011

1. Any seller of firearms may refuse a sale to any buyer for any reason.
2. Any laws preventing the preceding clause from taking effect are hereby amended to allow it to do so.

Freedom to Enjoy Oneself in Public Bill

1)  Possession of open containers of alcohol, the consumption of alcohol, and public intoxication in public open space and when riding on public transportation shall no longer be prohibited. All laws prohibiting the above are hereby repealed.

2) This act shall not be construed to allow possession of open containers of alcohol, the consumption of alcohol, or public intoxication in public buildings or in private vehicles.

The Un-Stealing Bill

All unimproved regional lands shall be immediately transferred to the original Indian tribes indigenous to said lands.

The Terror Register Bill

1) The Assembly can, with a minimum of 75% of support, declare an organisation a terrorist organisation.

1a) The Assembly, can, by the same margin, declare any organisation of sponsor of terrorism.

2) The consequences will be that they cannot legally organise, recruit or meet anywhere in the region and in certain cases, by court order, assets directly connected can be seized and/or frozen.

2a) The consequences for sponsors are that any government support will be frozen or quarantined and in certain cases, by court order, assets directly connected to the terror organisation can be seized or frozen.

3) An organisation on the register, may petition to be removed from the register, with the support of a 75% minimum vote in the Assembly.

4) The Governor cannot override the Assembly.

The Airport Renaming Act

1. John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City is hereby renamed the Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. International Airport

2. LaGuardia International Airport in New York City is hereby renamed the Seth Low International Airport.

Starting off the new Assembly with a bang! Here we go.

The GTO Remembrance Act

1) Every January 26th shall hereby be declared "GTO Remembrance Day" and shall be officially considered a holiday. All Government offices will fly the Atlasian flag at half mast on this day as a tribute to the tragedy.

2) Schools, post offices and other public buildings that display a flag outside shall be recommended, but not forced, to fly the flag at half mast as well.

If passed, I suggest that this bill also be introduced in the Senate so it could become national law.

The Flat Tax Act

1) A flat tax of 8% of one's individual household income is hereby established.

2) This tax shall be payed every year on tax day.

3) April 15th is hereby established as the Northeast region's yearly tax day.

4) Taxes on purchases, land and other taxes of the sort are hereby lifted.

5) Taxes on alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes and other health hazards are exempt from what is outlined in section four.

6) The Northeast Government shall not create new taxes on anything other than income or health hazards.

7) The Northeast Government shall not create tax brackets that could allow for one income class to pay more taxes. Everyone shall pay the same percentage of tax on income per year.

8) The Northeast Government may only collect this tax once per year.

I'd like to re-introduce this amendment, which was proposed a while back:
   
   

Corporate Accountability Act of 2011

Section 1) All businesses that broadcast a commercial on television, radio or the internet will be held accountable for all statements made in said advertisement.

Section 2) "Held accountable" shall be defined as:

• Broadcasting accurate and truthful information
• Using accurate consumer accounts, not exaggerated in any fashion

            Section 2, Subsection A) "Truthful information" shall be defined as not exaggerating the product's capabilities. For instance, if a company is selling a cereal, they do not possess the right to claim that the cereal could "make you live 10 years longer" unless it is scientifically proven that the cereal possesses such ability.

Section 3) If a company is found guilty of lying about a product by the Northeast Government, they shall be fined a sum of $1,500 (One thousand, five hundred dollars) on the first offense. If found guilty a second time, the fine shall increase to $2,500 (Two thousand, five hundred dollars.) if a company is found guilty a third time, the fine shall be $15,000 (Fifteen thousand dollars) as well as a trial conducted by the Northeast Government in which if a company is found guilty of false advertisement, they shall be suspended from advertisement and will not be allowed to broadcast an advertisement for 15 (Fifteen) months.

Section 4) If a citizen or citizens of the Northeast find that they are the victims of false advertisement, they shall immediately report the complaint to the Northeast Government in which the situation will be dealt with from thereon.

Section 5) Any citizen found guilty of making a false claim shall face a 2 (Two) month jail sentence as well as 7 (Seven) months of probation.

Section 6) A citizen may sue a company without reporting the complaint to the Northeast Government, but it is likely that the trial will be delayed while the Government reviews the complaint.
 
               Section 6, Subsection A) If a citizen has no proof that they are a victim of false advertisement, their claim shall be rendered null and void.

Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act

1) Partial Birth Abortions are hereby banned in the Northeast Region.

2) Doctors found to be practiciting Partial Birth Abortions after the passage of this law are to be fined $7,500 (Seven thousand, five hundred dollars.)

3) The term "Partial Birth Abortion" shall be defined as performing an abortion on a woman who has been pregnant for more than 5 and a half months.

Death Penalty Abolition/Criminal Rights Establishment Act of 2011

1) The Death Penalty is hereby abolished in the Northeast Region.

2) Criminals that are currently awaiting a death sentence shall instead be sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.

3) The abolition of the use of the death penalty shall also apply to the abolition of torture mechanisms to acquire information relating to a crime.

4) If a Government official or police officer is found to be violating the no torture law, they shall immediately be dismissed from their position.

5) Furthermore, criminals shall have the right to remain silent when arrested, as well as rights to personal property that shall not be searched without a search warrant signed by a licensed law official.

6) Criminals shall also have the right to be innocent until proven guilty.

7) A criminal shall keep these inaliable rights under any circumstance.

8) Criminals shall not have to face a suspension of their rights in wartime or a time of invasion.

9) Unless their is a proper warrant, police may not invade a person's private property for any reason whatsoever unless to make an arrest that had been reported to the police via a 911 call.

Payback Act of 2011

1) Members of the Northeast Assembly shall take a $40,000 (Fourty thousand dollar) pay cut, effective 90 (ninety) days after the passage of this act.

2) The Northeast Governor shall take a $30,000 (Thirty thousand dollar) pay cut, effective 90 (ninety) days after the passage of this act.

3) Northeast regional Senators shall receive a $40,000 (Fourty thousand dollar) pay cut, effective 90 (ninety) days after the passage of this act.

4) All the money collected from Northeast politicians' salary cuts shall be redistributed to the citizens of the Northeast.

5) The money shall be evenly distributed amongst the taxpayers and will be returned labeled as a tax return.

Sex Ed Optionality Act

1) Schools in the Northeast region that offer sexual education courses are hereby required to send home a letter to parents explaining that the school will be offering sexual education courses and the parents will then have the ability to opt their child out of the class.

2) Parents shall have the right to pull their child out of a sex ed class in the middle of the course if they feel the child is not mature enough to take the class.

Northeast Election Reform Act of 2011

1) Any person who casts a vote in a local election, whether for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Assemblyperson or any elected official of the Northeast Region, may not delete their post after voting has closed, nor while election results are being tallied, nor after election results are certified.

2) If one deletes their vote up to 30 (thirty) minutes after certification of votes, their vote shall be rendered null and void.

3) If there is no proof that one did not vote in any election, it shall be considered that they did not vote.

4) If a screen shot of a person's vote is produced up to 1 (one) hour after the supposed deletion of said vote, the vote shall still count.

The Small Government Act of 2011

ARTICLE IV - EXECUTIVE BRANCH is amended to read as follows:

i) The executive authority of the Northeast Region shall be vested first and foremost in the Governor of the Northeast Region.

ii) The Governor must be elected democratically by the people of the Northeast Region.

iii)Elections are to be held every October, February and June for Governor.

iv) All citizens of the Northeast Region shall have one vote for Governor. A polling booth shall be created by the Chief Judicial Officer of the Northeast Region. He or she will open the booth on the third Friday at 12:00:00am Eastern Standard Time of every October, February and June and will close said both on the following Sunday at 11:59:59pm Eastern Standard Time. Every citizen will be given the opportunity to vote during this time. The Chief Judicial Officer of the Northeast Region must accept any absentee ballot conducted one week prior to the opening of the polls.

v) Candidates for Governor will be given until the second Friday of the month in which he or she wishes to run in an election thereof to announce his candidacy. This is to be done by officially notifying the Chief Judicial Officer of the Northeast Region.

vi) When the polls close, the Chief Judicial Officer of the Northeast Region shall be given twenty-four hours to count the votes and declare a winner. The candidate with the most votes for the office of Governor shall be made Governor. The newly elected Governor is to be officially sworn in on the Tuesday following the election and shall immediately assume office at that point. In the case of a tie, all tied candidates are to run in a run-off election the following week to determine a winner.

vii) There may only be one Governorat any point in time. Once a new Governor is sworn in, the former one forfeits his or her office.

viii) If the office of Governor is to become vacant at some point while he or she is in office, than the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly is to be immediately sworn in as Acting Governor of the Northeast Region, while maintaining his or her role as presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly.

ix) A Governor may be impeached at any time while they are in office by the will of two thirds of the Legislative Assembly of the Northeast Region.

x) The Governor has the power to make political appointments and to be the official representative of the Region to the rest of Atlas Forum with the recommendation of the General Assembly of the Northeast Region. The Primary responsibility of the Governor shall be to work with the regional Senators and the Forum President to ensure that the rights, liberties, and interests of the people of the Northeast Region are protected.

xi) The Governor has veto power over any piece of legislation that the Northeast Assembly shall successfully vote in favour. The Governor may not have the power to veto parts as opposed to the whole of any legislation. The Governor is required to sign all pieces of legislation he supports into law after it passes a successful vote in the Legislative Assembly within one week of its passing. Once he or she has signed the legislation, it immediately becomes law unless otherwise stated in the legislation itself. If the Governor does not sign the successful legislation after one week, than it becomes law immediately.

xii) The Governor is obligated to present the Legislative Assembly a budget every January, if he or she is in office at that time. The budget of all government activities is to be voted on by the Assembly in the same January. The Governor is obligated that the budget does not provide for any deficits excepting times of emergency or war, a condition the Legislative Assembly must successfully endorse.

xiii) In the temporary absence of the Governor, then the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly may be allowed to temporarily conduct the duties of the Governor.

xiv) The chain of command for the Governorship of the Northeast Region shall be as follows: Governor, , Chief Judicial Officer, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Longest continuously serving Representative of the Northeast Region, followed by the next longest and the next and so on. The chain of command shall be used to fill sudden vacancies in the office of Governor.

Article V is amended to read as follows:

xiv) The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northeast acts as the President of the Northeast Legislative Assembly. He officially opens and closes the sessions, organizes votes on legislation and notifies the Reps of the results of any official vote. If a vote results in a perfect tie. In this case, the Governor shall be allowed to vote to break said tie.

xv) The Assembly shall have the power to override the Governor’s veto. If the Assembly passes legislation previously vetoed by the Governor by more than a two-thirds majority vote, it becomes law without the Governor’s signature. An override vote resulting in an exactly two-thirds majority shall be considered failed.

Article VI is amended to read as follows:

iv) No persons shall hold the positions of Governor and Chief Judicial Officer at the same time.

Basically abolishing the Lt. Govenor position? Hmm...interesting. I like this.

Excellent work Napoleon, this needs to happen.

Does the Northeast even currently have a CJO?

I agree.


Nope.

Northeast Regional Song Establishment Act of 2011

1) The official song of the Northeast Region is hereby declared to be Sgt Baker by Primus.

2) This song shall be sung before all major sporting events and at half time show which is held in the Northeast Region.

3) Les Claypool is hereby declaed an official Grandmaster of Funk by the adjourned Northeast Assembly.

Additional Amendments to the Northeast Gun Safety Act

The Northeast Gun Safety Act shall be re-amended to read:

1. Any person who has committed a non-murder felony while under the age of 21, will automatically have his rights restored at age 35.
     a. Except in cases where the victim of the offender's crime is a minor.
     b. Except in cases where the offender has committed two or more felonies during this period.
2. Whenever a gun is used as an instrument in the crime, an additional five years will be added to the sentence.
     a. In cases of abduction, rape, or murder of any degree, in which a gun is used as an instrument in the crime, these rights will not be restored.

Can you please explain this legislation to me, I'm not quite sure of what it means...

I'm amending this law, already on the books: https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Legislative_work_of_the_Northeast_Assembly#Northeast_Gun_Safety_Act (https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Legislative_work_of_the_Northeast_Assembly#Northeast_Gun_Safety_Act)

THe law was already amended by this: https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Legislative_work_of_the_Northeast_Assembly#Amendments_to_the_Northeast_Gun_Safety_Act (https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Legislative_work_of_the_Northeast_Assembly#Amendments_to_the_Northeast_Gun_Safety_Act)

I made a few changes I felt were important.

Fair enough.

Northeast Parks and Recreation Use Act

1. This act shall be applied only to those lands and facilities operated and maintained by the state and/or regional governments.

2. Citizens and legal residents of the Northeast shall not be required to pay any fee for use of state and/or regional parks or recreational facilities.

3. Citizens and legal residents of the Northeast are eligible for free admission to state parks and recreational facilities not operated or maintained by the regional government irrespective of their state of residence.

4. Nonresidents of the Northeast may be required to pay a fee for use of state and/or regional parks or recreational facilities where applicable.

Aye. :)

Amendment to the NE Constitution - Residential Officeholder Act of 2011

1) Only residents of the Northeast region may run for office in the Northeast.

2) One must be a citizen of the region for a total of 7 (seven) days before declaring a candidacy in any election.

3) If one was previously a resident of the region but changed location, section 2 still applies.

Statutory "Spring Cleaning" Act of 2011

1. The Assembly hereby creates a temporary Statutory Review Commission (hereafter referred to as SRC) comprised of one current Representative of the Northeast.
2. The SRC's member shall be appointed by the Assembly by simple majority vote.
3. The SRC shall be entrusted with preparing a report to the Assembly regarding the following:
a. The establishment of a centralized list of all statute signed into law since January 1, 2004;
b. The relevance, clarity and integrity of all said statute;
c. Whether certain laws in said statute contradict others, or are unconstitutional; and
d. Recommendations for future legislation or amendment of existing legislation intended to rectify problems relating to sections 3b and 3c above.
4. The SRC's commission to carry out section 3 above shall expire after the fifteenth calendar day after the SRC commissioner's appointment, on which the SRC shall present its report to the Assembly.
5. The Assembly shall then take action upon the SRC report by accepting and implementing, rejecting or qualifying the recommendations made by the SRC.

Great work, hc.

Constitutional Amendment

The constitution is amended as follows: placeholder.

Introducing this as the predecessor to a collaborative Constitutional review I hope to spend some time on.

Vital Civic Information Act

1. The Government of the Northeast shall keep a complete and accurate record at all times of the names of current members of the Assembly, the names of the region's executive and judicial officers, the dates of any forthcoming general or special elections and any other information which the government sees fit to make its citizens aware of.

2. The information to be made public by this act shall be published within three days of the passage of this Act.

3. Any future changes to the above information must be made within three days of an event necessitating a change, such as a new officer/legislator's ascendance to or removal from his respective office or the calling of a new special election.

4. Any member of the Legislature, or of the Executive or Judicial Branches, may make any necessary changes to the above information.

5. The above information shall be made public through at least one of the following media:
a. A new thread in the Regional Governments subforum of the Atlas Fantasy Government forum; or
b. The appropriate pages in the Atlasia Wiki.

6. If any inappropriate information, such as any egregious self-promotional, offensive or irrelevant text is made public through the media specified in 5 a or b, the Chief Judicial Officer is hereby authorized to remove it, at his discretion, upon the recommendation of any Northeast Citizen.

Resolution for a Constitutional Convention


The Assembly of the Northeast hereby authorizes a Constitutional Convention to prepare a document by the 10th of June, to replace or modify the existing Constitution in accordance with current amending procedure.

Resolution Thanking Rowan Brandon

The Northeast Assembly hereby thanks Senator Rowan Brandon for his invaluable service to the Region and we on this day declare him Atlasia's greatest senator in modern history. The Assembly also hopes that his service to Region and Nation will continue as the nation's President.

Giovanni, I know you were elected through a statutory loophole, but could you please appear to be taking your job seriously? Certain people in the Assembly have important work to get done and do not need this sort of legislative clutter to get in their way.

If you want to look over some of the Bill proposed since in the sessions previous to your arrival... this is far from the stupidest thing proposed for the Assembly.

Perhaps I overreacted. But "Atlasia's greatest senator in modern history"? I don't see how this is meaningful or constructive, especially when we're in the midst of statutory review and a constitutional convention is being proposed.

Report of the Statutory Review Commission

The Statutory Review Commission of the Northeast, having concluded its review of the statute, recommends the following changes to Northeast law:

1. Section IV of the Northeastern Healthcare Act is amended to include:


2. Article B, Section 2 of the Northeast Medical Savings Account Act is hereby repealed.

3. The Northeast Pornography and Age of Consent Act is amended to include:


4. The Children's Healthcare Act is hereby repealed.

5. Sections 1, 2 and 3 of The Smoking Age Standardization Act are amended as follows:



6. Section 4 of the Predatory Lending Prohibition Act is amended as follows:


7. Section 1 of the Fair Property Valuation Act is hereby repealed.

8. The Northeast Speed Limit Standardization Act is hereby repealed.

9. The Northeast Region Legislation Standardization Act is hereby repealed.

10. The Preferential Voting Act is amended as follows:


11. Subsections 1 and 2 of Section 1 of the The Campaigning for Invalidation of Votes Initiative are amended as follows:


12. The Nullification Resolution is hereby repealed.

13. Section 2 of the Proposition on the Officialization of the Separation of Religion and State is amended as follows:


14. Section 5 of the Northeast Assembly Speaker Act is amended as follows:



15. Subsections a and c of Section 1 (Proposed Legislation Thread) of the Standing Order on Assembly Procedure are hereby repealed and subsection e of Section 2 (Movement of Legislation to the Northeast Assembly Floor) of the Standing Order on Assembly Procedure is hereby repealed.

16.  Section 2 (Movement of Legislation to the Northeast Assembly Floor) of the Standing Order on Assembly Procedure is amended to replace all references to the Lieutenant Governor with references to the Speaker of the Assembly.

17. Section 2 (Movement of Legislation to the Northeast Assembly Floor) of the Standing Order on Assembly Procedure is specifically amended as follows:


18. The Northeast Tax Initiative of March 2005 is hereby repealed.

19. The following amendment shall be made to the Northeastern Green Jobs Act:


20. The Self Defense Act is hereby repealed.

21. The Wiki Emergency Act is hereby repealed.

22. The Northeast Order of Precedence Act is amended as follows:


23. Section 2 of the Vacancy Filling Act is amended as follows:



We, the undersigned commissioners, do hereby endorse these recommendations and urge the Assembly to adopt them forthwith.

Signed this 11th day of May 2011,

x homelycooking, Commissioner
x Dallasfan65, Commissioner
x Polnut, Commissioner
x Napoleon, Commissioner

Reintroducing.

Reintroducing.

Call to Vote Amendment

Section 3 of the Standing Order on Legislative Procedure is hereby amended with the addition of a sub-section (i), as follows:

(i) The Speaker of the Assembly shall notify all members of the Assembly via private message of an ongoing vote on the floor of the Assembly no later than one hour after the commencement of the voting period.   

The Crime Is What Actually Matters Act

Clause 2 of the Amendments to the Northeast Gun Safety Act (https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Legislative_work_of_the_Northeast_Assembly#Amendments_to_the_Northeast_Gun_Safety_Act) is repealed.

Write-in Votes Act

I. Any person who wishes to accept write-in votes cast at an election for himself or herself must declare, in the Candidate Declaration Thread, that he or she will accept write-in votes at least twenty-four hours before the opening of a regional election.
II. No candidate shall be declared elected to any office of the Northeast who has neither declared his acceptance of write-in votes in the manner prescribed in section I of this Act nor secured a place on a regional ballot by declaring his candidacy at least seven days before the opening of a regional election.
III. All write-in votes cast for persons who have neither declared his acceptance of write-in votes in the manner prescribed in section I of this Act nor secured a place on a regional ballot by declaring his candidacy at least seven days before the opening of a regional election shall be considered null and void.
IV. A write-in vote, cast for a candidate who has secured a place on a regional ballot by declaring his candidacy at least seven days before the opening of a regional election, shall not be construed to have not been cast for that candidate.
V. A person's casting of a write-in vote for himself or herself at a regional election shall not be construed to constitute acceptance of write-in votes, unless that person has already declared his acceptance of write-in votes in accordance with section I of this Act.

Natural Beauty Preservation Act

No billboard advertisements may be placed along roads, highways, freeways, or interstates in areas classified as rural.
Municipalities shall have the power to ban billboards within their jurisdiction.

X Napoleon

Amendment to the Northeast Assembly Speaker Act



Ought to clarify any problems we have :P

I would like to propose the following bill for debate and vote by the Northeast Assembly.

The Northeast Region Voting Act

In all Northeast Region elections, the 20 minute rule whereby a voter can change their vote within 20 minutes of casting it shall be eliminated.  The original vote as cast by the voter shall be their only valid vote.

Ballot Standardization Act

1. The Chief Judicial Officer of the Northeast is hereby authorized to open a voting booth for any and all Northeast Regional regular and special elections.

2. Any other official of the Northeast, including and limited to the Governor, Lt. Governor and members of the Assembly, are hereby authorized to open a voting booth for any and all Northeast Regional regular and special elections only if:
a. The Chief Judicial Officer declares a leave of absence encompassing the first day of the election, or otherwise states publicly his inability to open the polls on time; or
b. The Chief Judicial Officer does not open the polls one hour after an election's constitutionally or legally mandated start time.


3. The post with which the authorized opener of a voting booth begins the election must contain the following text before the listing of candidates running for office, with the bracketed items correctly filled in:

"As [name of authorized poll-opening officer], I hereby declare this polling place open.

This is the Northeast regional polling booth for the scheduled [name of election].  In this polling place, Northeast citizens are electing [names of offices up for election].

Votes for offices in this region are cast using PR-STV.  Voters who wish to preference more than one candidate should allocate a first preference for a candidate by marking a [1] in the space provided by that candidate's name, and proceeding to number as many preferences as they desire by marking a [2], [3], etc for as many candidates as they so desire.

A vote will be counted so long as the voter that casts it is eligible to vote in this election and casts  a formal ballot. A vote is formal so long as it contains numbered preferences with no duplicate numbers. A ballot containing Roman Numerals is not considered informal. A ballot in which candidates have been ranked a,b,c, etc is not considered informal so long as no letter has been repeated, and so long as a single candidate has been ranked a, for as long as the letters are consecutive with no duplicate letters. A ballot is formal if the CJO can determine the intent of the voter without interviewing that voter.

Per past practice, write-in votes are only counted for a candidate if he or she publicly declares a willingness to receive write-in votes for a particular office in the [name of election] before the polls close in the Candidate Declaration Thread or writes in his or her own name on the ballot for that particular office.

Votes for "NOTA" or "None of the Above" for any office are formal regardless of the preference assigned to it. Should a voter preference "NOTA" as well as other candidates, only his vote for "NOTA" will be counted.

This booth shall remain open until [time prescribed for the closing of the polls]."

4. Candidates shall have printed on the ballot certain basic information, limited to the following:
a. their full usernames and display names as of the time of the opening of the polls, should they differ from their usernames;
b. the name of the political party to which they belong, or the affiliation "Independent" in its place should a candidate not belong to a political party;
c. the name of the state in which they reside.

5. All information printed on a ballot must pertain immediately to the election at hand and may not contain solicitation, propaganda, or hyperlinks to other pages.

6. Absentee ballots need not contain all of the information mandated in sections 3 and 4, though it must be provided by the Chief Judicial Officer upon request to an absentee elector at any time beginning one week before the election.

7. An opening post that does not abide by the above clauses of this act inaugurates an election that shall not be recognized as the legitimate voice of the people of the Northeast and shall be rendered null and void.

End to Alcohol Control Act

1. Businesses with liquor permits shall be allowed to sell liquor, beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages to those 16 or older (with proper identification) until 2 AM on any day of the week.

2. Government-owned liquor stores shall be auctioned to the highest bidder.

3. Local governments may not restrict alcohol sales in conflict with this law.

X Senator Napoleon

1. All Northeast Prisons shall be required to produce at least 75% of their food from gardens, which shall be created and maintained by inmates.

2. All inmates shall be given the right to decide amongst themselves which crops shall be maintained within the garden; however, prisons must require enough variety as so to allow for a balanced diet for the inmates.

3. If extra room is necessary, prisons will be granted land necessary to grow crops, paid for by the Northeast government.

Partners in Civic Engagement Act

The Government of the Northeast shall match any individual contribution dollar-for-dollar, up to five hundred thousand dollars, to any tax-exempt charity or organization intended to promote the establishment and continued operation of:

- after-school programs in school districts in which more than one quarter of the student population is impoverished;
- educational or recreational summer camps for disabled or handicapped youth;
- public libraries;
- educational, domestic or recreational services for senior citizens;
- parks and land conservation organizations;
- animal shelters;
- soup kitchens for the poor, addiction rehabilitation centers or groups and homeless shelters; and
- medical research into finding a cure or more effective treatment for a communicable disease or genetic disorder.

I would like to present to the Assembly the following for revision from the constitution.

Where it states charged to hold trials for the convicted, should state for the accused, as one should not be convicted until found guilty.     

iii) The Chief Judicial Officer is to be charged with the duties of interpreting the laws of the Northeast Region and is charged to hold trials for the convicted. If someone submits a case to him or her, then the Chief Judicial Officer must make a ruling on it, giving ample time to hear arguments from any side of the issue. The Chief Judicial Officer’s rulings are to be considered precedent for all future cases.

This error is corrected in the Constitution I drafted. Perhaps a Representative could introduce my Constitution as an amendment?

May I inquire as to what the current drinking age is?

0

I would like to introduce Senator Napoleon's proposed new Constitution for the Northeast Region.

The constitution may be read here:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=138801.0 (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=138801.0)

The Jake Matthews Memorial Act

1. The southernmost bridge spanning the Delaware River that connects the states of New Jersey and Delaware is hereby renamed "The Jacob T. Matthews Memorial Bridge".
2. All Northeast residents who present a valid Northeast drivers' licence, or other identification showing residence in a state of the Northeast, to a toll collector for the above bridge on the sixteenth day of January shall have their toll for crossing the bridge on that day waived.

How old does someone have to be to own a credit card, drive, vote, and join the military?

A BILL that will ensure religious freedom by allotting students one minute for prayer before classes

1. All schools shall schedule one minute per day for non-led student prayer, before or after students recite the Pledge of Allegiance

2. In no way shall teachers or school administrators influence how a student prays, or endorse any particular religious faith or view

3. Students who do not wish to partake in prayer may refrain from doing so

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=138801.0

Re-introducing Napoleon's constitution.

A BILL that will establish a loan-guarantee program for encouraging lending by backers (bank and non-bank lending institutions) and promoting job creation

1. This program may be referred to as 'The Northeast Loan Administration' or 'NLA'

2. The Northeast government will save $15 billion dollars and deposit it into a loan-guarantee program

3. The program will guarantee Northeast banks 75% of the loans that are issued to people, schools, student loans, businesses, hospitals, colleges, mortgages, and other entities

4. Loans must be $5 million or less to be eligible

5. Money will be guaranteed to all legal and valid loans from banks and non-bank lending institutions

6. Each loan will be checked to ensure its legality and approved by the NLA administrators before money is guaranteed

A bill to encourage food donations within the region.

The Northeast recognizes that supermarkets and restaraunts throw out millions of dollars of produce, grocery items, and food each year.  Many of these places of operation would gladly donate these items if not for the fear of litigation.


1.  A record of food donations shall be made by places of operation that provide food for the needy.  A receipt shall be issued to the donator for their records.

2.  These places of operation shall maintain responsibility for ensuring they comply with all regulations set by relevant Government agencies (Health Dept, FDA, ect).

3.  Those who willingly receive and/or consume the donated goods, shall not be able to obtain damages, unless malicious intent can be proven.

4.  Receipts issued under Section 1, may be used for tax purposes, if permitted by Northeast law.

A BILL that enforces the Castle Doctrine, to protect owners of homes, businesses, vehicles, or pets, who use deadly or non-deadly force against intruders, from prosecution.

1. An intruder(s) must have made an attempt to unlawfully enter a person's home, business, or vehicle without the consent of the owner

2. The owner of the home must reasonably believe that the intruder(s) had intended to commit a crime (murder, rape, robbery, or arson).

3. The owner may apply force if his or her pet is being harmed by intruder(s)

4. The intruder(s) must have acted illegally; i.e. the owner does not have the right to attack a police officer acting in the course of their legal duties.

5. The owner is not required to retreat from their home before using deadly or non-deadly force.

A BILL to repeal two acts, that do not befit the great Northeast Region.

1.  The Prisoner Diet Reform Act is hereby repealed.
2.  The Northeastern Green Jobs Act is hereby repealed.

Undoing Unconstitutional, Undemocratic, and Evil "Review" (Binding Resolution)

The Northeast Assembly

1. Repeals the "Statutory Review Commission Report"
2. Expresses the sense of the Assembly that the creation of such a body in the first place, without any authority to do so in the Northeast constitution, is unconstitutional.

A BILL to enrich education in the Northeast, by using both public funds and private donations for the creation of a new laptop distribution program.

This bill may be referred to as the LEARN Act.

Section 1.)
1. The Northeast government will accumulate $3.5 billion and fund it into a new program.

2. This program may be referred to the Northeast Student Laptop Distribution Agency (NSLDA).

3. Laptops that are distributed by this program may be obtained by either purchased or donated laptops from private companies.
3a. Private companies that donate laptops are entitled to tax credits per donation.

4. Eight years after the creation of this program, the Northeast government will determine if the NSLDA self-sustainable and whether or not it should be privatized.


Section 2.)
1. The NSLDA will distribute free laptops to students of all public schools in the Northeast (grades 6-12).

2. Parents/guardians of students who apply for a laptop must sign a written agreement to take full responsibility for the maintenance and condition of the laptop, during the time of which the laptop is entrusted with the student.  Parents/guardians must agree to pay all monetary costs if the laptop is damaged, lost, or stolen.

3. The laptops shall be in possession of the students who are enrolled in grades 6-12, and each student is responsible for returning the laptop (or paying all fines which may be owed) to his/her school before he/she graduates.

4. If the student should pay for loss or damage of the laptop, the money will be used to purchase a replacement.

5. Laptops that are returned may be given to future students.

I am reintroducing Senator Napoleon's Constitution.  I'm slightly more hopeful that we will have better turnout (I will even PM representatives, if necessary).

I suggest you withdraw this and have Napoleon have the amendments we made included before introduction.  Of course, if we want to go through that all over again that's fine ;)

Good idea.  I'll withdraw.

It shall be policy of the Northeast Region that it will ensure, by any means necessary, that its ten states- Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont- are embodied together and that each shall be assimilated within the Republic of Atlasia.  States that secede shall receive no diplomatic recognition from the Northeast Region.

I'd like to introduce a resolution to censure wormyguy for his use of unparliamentary language in the title of the Undoing Unconstitutional, Undemocratic, and Evil "Review" Binding Resolution.

Resolution:

The "Scott Doctrine" is hereby repealed.

This is just childish.

What are the times that school begins and ends each day in the Northeast?  Or has that not been established yet?

I would imagine school districts play the deciding party.

Senate Vacancy Act

If a vacancy should arise for the Northeast Senate seat, a special election shall take place to fill the vacancy. The Governor shall open the polling booth within one week of the vacancy occurring. The victor shall be seated immediately.

If there is less than four weeks left of the term when the vacancy occurs, the Governor may forgo the special election and appoint a Senator subject to confirmation by the Legislative Assembly.

X Napoleon

Sponsored

Political Donation Disclosure Act of 2011

1. All persons running for any office in the Northeast are hereby required to report the amount of money raised per week in their campaign thread.

2. If a candidate chooses not to start a campaign thread, they must report their donations to the Governor of the region.

3. If a candidate is found to be improperly raising money either through bribery or other politically dishonest means, the candidate is to be penalized via a fine, which shall be decided upon by the adjourned Northeast Assembly.

A BILL to promote healthy lifestyles in Northeast schools.

All standards are applicable at the start of the next school year.

Section 1.) Condoms
1. All schools in the Northeast, public and private, are hereby permitted to dispense condoms for students.

2. Condoms may be dispensed in the nurse's office or restrooms.

Section 2.) Medication
1. Students are permitted to bring in and keep any medication, prescription and non-prescription, at schools in the nurse's office.
2. All medication must be appropriately labeled by kind of medication and student name.
3. Students may not request medication that belongs to another student.

Section 3.) Physical Education
1. Public school students shall be required to take physical education classes through years K-12.

Section 4.) Time
1. All high schools in the Northeast may begin no earlier than 8:30 AM each day.

Section 5.) Lunch
1. TV dinners and prepackaged meals are hereby prohibited from being served in school lunchrooms.  All lunches must be fully prepared by cafeteria workers.

Commending The Libyan Rebels

1. The adjourned Northeast Assembly hereby commend the Libyan Rebels on overthrowing their dictator after months of civil war.

Re-introducing this with the provisions I think would have better chances of passing.


A BILL to promote healthy lifestyles in Northeast schools.

All standards are applicable at the start of the next school year.

Section 1.) Condoms
1. All schools in the Northeast, public and private, are hereby permitted to dispense condoms for students.

2. Condoms may be dispensed in the nurse's office or restrooms.

Section 2.) Medication
1. Students are permitted to bring in and keep any medication, prescription and non-prescription, at schools in the nurse's office.

2. All medication must be appropriately labeled by kind of medication and student name.

3. Students may not request medication that belongs to another student.

Better re-introduce it under the new Assembly.  All bills introduced during this session don't get carried over to the next.

Will do.

Anti-Conscription Act

1) The government of the Northeast region may not conscript it's citizens, whether for military or civil purposes.

2) The Northeast Assembly affirms that conscription is a form of forced labor, and thus should not be allowed in any progressive society.

The Preventing HxC Dancing In Public To Protect Citizen Safety Act of 2011

1. All "HxC" or "Hardcore" dancing is hereby prohibited in public.

2. "HxC" or "Hardcore" dancing is defined as:

• Floorpunching
• Windmilling
• Moshing
• Any other form of limb flailing that may cause passersby to become injured

3. Citizens may Hardcore dance at concerts, but at their own risk of being injured or injuring someone else.

4. If someone is caught Hardcore dancing in public, they shall have to pay a $500 dollar fine.

Re-introduce these bills when we get into the next session, guys.

Please do :)

Before the next session starts, I feel I should say this.  I will support this bill, but be prepared to face potential legal challenges if this passes... ;)

A BILL to establish a board of non-legislating advisers, which will work in the Northeast Executive Branch

1. The Governor may nominate an elected or non-elected Northeast citizen to each regional department.  Citizens who are selected must accept their nominations to each department, before being confirmed by the General Assembly at the beginning of the Governor’s term.

2. The Governor may fire a Secretary of any department at any time during his or her tenure, and the replacement(s) shall be confirmed by the General Assembly.

3. The secretaries shall advise the Governor, as well as the General Assembly, on legislation relevant to their department assignment(s) or recommend policy initiatives, but shall have no legislative power or vote in the General Assembly unless the Secretary is a member of such.  The Governor may appoint a secretary to oversee multiple departments at a time and the secretary shall work in the Cabinet until he or she resigns, is removed from their position by the Governor, or after the Governor’s term expires.  A secretary may serve under multiple governors without limitations on how many times he or she may be appointed.

4. The Governor may leave some or all departments vacant if he or she chooses.

5. The Departments will be as follows:

• Department of the State (will advise on legislation regarding election law, game reform)
• Department of the Treasury (will advise on legislation regarding money, budgeting, banking, consumer protection, loans)
• Department of Agriculture and the Interior (will advise on legislation regarding farm bills & compensation, rural development, regional parks, environmental regulation, energy policy, food stamps)
• Department of Commerce (will advise on legislation regarding economic growth)
• Department of Urban Development (will advise on legislation regarding urban development, maintenance, infrastructure)
• Department of Education (will advise on legislation regarding education policy, health standards for schools, school development, teacher pay)
• Department of Labor (will advise on legislation regarding labor, unions, worker pay, worker protection, worker conditions)
• Department of Veterans Affairs (will advise on legislation regarding support for veterans, region’s military force)
• Department of Health and Human Services (will advise on legislation regarding public health care, hospitals, health, safety regulations)
• Department of Justice (will advise on legislation regarding the administration of law, enforcement of justice)

6. The Governor may establish a new Cabinet position with the consent of the General Assembly.

Did this ever pass?

The Making Recycling Fun And Cool Because Nobody Likes To Do It Other Than Hippies Act of 2011

1. In order to increase desire to recycle, special recycling cans shall be placed throughout the region.

2. These special cans shall be capable of the following:

• When a recyclable item is placed in the can, a buzzer, similar to a basketball buzzer, shall sound.
• There shall be a point counter at the top of the can that records high scores. If someone breaks a high score, an automated voice shall shout "High score!" and the person will recieve a coupon to a store of their choice.

Stone Wall Preservation Act

The Northeast Assembly acknowledges that stone walls constructed as agricultural and administrative boundaries are tangible legacies of the generations that lived and died before the present day, and in so doing, declares the following:

1. That to knowingly deface, damage or dismantle a stone wall on public property is prohibited, and punishable by a $500 fine on the first offense;
2. That subsequent offenses shall entail four hours of community service for each subsequent offense and an increase in the fine by an additional $250 for each subsequent offense;
3. That any land sold by the Northeast or by any municipal or local government therein to a private landowner may only be sold on the condition that all stone walls located upon the property may not be defaced, damaged or dismantled in the process of the development of the land; and
4. That the Northeast Government shall offer grants totaling $250,000 to historians and scholars who aim to develop registries, maps and archives of ancient stone walls within the Northeast Region.

x homelycooking

X  Cincinnatus

The Music Piracy Decriminalization Act of 2011

1. Downloading music on the internet is hereby legal.

2. Websites such as LimeWire, FrostWire and related websites are no longer at risk of persecution from the Northeast Government in any way, shape or form.

3. Illegal downloading is hereby discouraged by the adjourned Assembly.

4. Musicians may not sue any illegal downloading websites if a court case would be brought before a Northeast Court.

5. All persons forced to pay an illegal downloading fine are to have said fine repaid in it's entirety.

I don't believe so.  Should I consider your post a re-introduction of this bill?

Well wasn't something similar to this included in the new Constitution? IIRC?

I believe only the first section of this bill is applied in the Northeast Constitution.

Well then I guess I'll reintroduce my amendment :P

Article II of the Northeast Constitution is hereby amended:

In the event that the office of the Lieutenant Governor is to become vacated, or that the person who receives the most votes should not take the Oath of Office, a special election shall be held and the victor will take the office to finish the remainder of the term.

The Absolutely Silly Act

1.  The amount of derps in the Northeast region may not exceed twelve herps.
2.  If the amount of derps does exceed twelve herps, the Northeast Assembly may herp the derps accordingly.
3.  The Game

I have to ask, is this a serious proposal? :P

He just made me lose the game.  I must have went three years without losing the game too :P

I fully urge everyone to support Morgan's bill.

Removing That Stupid Parental Advisory Sticker From CDs Act Of 2011

1. The "Parental Advisory: Explicit Content" is hereby removed from CDs sold within the Northeast Region.

2. Instead, CDs with notable explicit content shall have a sticker with "Recommended: 16+, 17+ and 18+" stickers, based on explicitness of content.

3. If a CD has a "Recommended: 18+" sticker on it, identification shall be required in order to purchase the CD.

4. If a CD has a "Recommended: 16+ or 17+" sticker, anyone may buy the CD.

Nice record!

Yes

An amendment to the Vacancy filling act.  Just a little clean up.

I support this.

Northeast Tax Reform Act of 2011

Income Tax

1. All individual state income taxes are hereby repealed and replaced with a region-wide 4% flat tax.

Sales Tax

1. All individual state sales taxes are hereby repealed and replaced with a regionwide 6.2% sales tax.

2. A Sales Tax shall not be levied on "essential" living items such as clothing, produce, water, meat, etc.

Cigarette Tax

1. Cigarettes are hereby levied with a 9% tax when purchased.

Alcohol Tax

1. Alcohol is hereby levied with a 14% tax when purchased.

Re-introducing my last amendment.  For what ever reason, turnout was very low during the last vote and I am confident that it will pass next time.  The Constitution needs to have a section that addresses this issue.

I was actually just about to re-introduce it.

The Miscarraige of Justice Prevention Act

1. Jury instructions

Jury instructions in criminal cases with not-guilty pleas from this point on must include the following phrasing:

"Your job, as jurors, is to decide whether the defendant is guilty beyond all reasonable doubt.  This does not mean that you should always convict if you believe the defendant is probably guilty; it means that you should convict only if there is no reasonable possibility that the subject is innocent.  The legal system in the Northeast Region presumes that all defendants are innocent.  You must presume that the defendant in this case is innocent, and ascertain whether the evidence in this case proves the defendant guilty, beyond all reasonable doubt."

2. Conviction percentage as grounds for reward

The Attorney General's office, and the District Attorney's offices, may not use percentage of cases resulting in convictions as a criterion for either promotion or reward.  Violation of this law shall be considered a felony punishable by not less than 5 years in prison and/or a fine of not less than $500,000.

3. Police and government official testimony

Judges must instruct jurors that testimony from police officers or other government officials cannot be considered any more credible than testimony from any other person, as needed.

4. Lineup procedures

a. An officer administering a photo or live lineup array must not know which individual in the lineup is the suspect.

b. All individuals in a lineup must resemble the eyewitness's initial description of the perpetrator, including race, hair color, eye color, facial hair, etc.  The suspect should not be the only individual in the lineup with a certain obvious feature unless unavoidable (for example, a distinctive tattoo or scar).

c. Eyewitnesses may not be shown multiple lineups with the same suspect.

d. The person viewing a lineup must be told that the perpetrator may not be in the lineup and that the investigation will continue regardless of the lineup result. They must also be told not to look to the administrator for guidance.

e. Immediately following the lineup procedure, the eyewitness must provide a statement, in his or her own words, articulating his or her level of confidence in the identification.

f. All lineup procedures must be videotaped.

g. Lineups must be performed sequentially (the eyewitness views each individual one by one) rather than simultaneously (the eyewitness views all individuals in the lineup at once).

h. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to lineup procedures which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

5. Discredited forms of evidence

a. Discredited and pseudoscientific forms of evidence collection, including hair and fiber analysis, bite mark analysis, firearm mark analysis, shoe print comparison, polygraph examinations, and testimony obtained under hypnosis shall be considered inadmissable as evidence in a court of law.

b. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to the discredited forms of evidence listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

6. Serology

a. Before expert testimony regarding serology (blood type analysis), the presiding Judge must instruct the jurors that the victim's and perpetrator's blood may have mixed, possibly yielding a false result as to the perpetrator's blood type, and that millions of different people in the Northeast Region share any given blood type.

b. Experts presenting serology may not provide the jury with statistics about percentages of the population which have certain blood types, given that this testimony has been frequently shown to be inaccurate and there are wide fluctuations in the prevalence of certain blood types between different races, ethnicities, and regions of the country.

c. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to expert testimony involving serology which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

7. Interrogations

a. All interrogations of suspects must be videotaped.

b. Judges must instruct the jury in cases of juveniles or mentally retarded individuals that juveniles and mentally retarded individuals often do not understand their situation and are particularly likely to give false confessions.

c. Suspects who were convicted or pled guilty in substantial part due to interrogations which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

8. Informant testimony

a. Whenever testimony from a prison informant is used, the presiding Judge must instruct the jury that most informant testimony is unreliable as it may be offered in return for deals, special treatment, or the dropping of charges.

b. Prosecutors must reveal any incentive the informant receives, and all communication between prosecutors and informants must be videotaped.

c. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to informant testimony which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

9. New use of DNA evidence

a. All persons convicted in cases where DNA evidence remains but was not presented in the original trial or an appeal are entitled to have DNA testing performed on said evidence.

b. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part in a case where possible DNA evidence existed shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

c. Possible DNA evidence may not be destroyed.  Violation of this law shall be a misdemeanor punishable by not more than 1 year in prison and/or a fine of not more than $25,000.

10. Double jeopardy

a. A suspect must be charged with all charges relating to a specific offense at his or her original trial.  Suspects may not be brought up on new charges relating to the same defense unless prosecutors can reasonably show that they have found new evidence relating to these new charges since the initial trial.

b. Suspects may not be named in both a criminal and a civil suit relating to the same offense.

c. Suspects may not be charged with regional charges relating to a specific offense after having already been charged relating to that offense at the Federal level.

d. Suspects may not be remanded into Federal custody to be charged related to a specific offense after having already been charged relating to that offense at the regional level.  Regional authorities may not assist Federal authorities in investigating or apprehending suspects already charged at the regional level.  Suspects must be placed into anonymous protective custody provided by the region at their request, if they reasonably believe they will be Federally charged related to a specific offense after having already been charged relating to that offense at the regional level.

A BILL to preserve the environment and public health by banning the removal of summits or summit ridges of mountains

1. The Northeast Assembly hereby acknowledges:

• That mountaintop removal is considered an 'extreme form' of mining
• That mountaintop removal hurts biodiversity
• That mountaintop removal reduces workers
• That mountaintop removal is a threat to the public health

2. The Northeast government shall not distribute any permits to coal-mining industries that desire to mine through the means of mountaintop removal.

3. Mining industries that partake in this practice will be fined at a maximum of $250,000.  The final amount shall be determined in a court of law.

A BILL to curb bullying across the region and assist teenagers and families who struggle with bullying problems

1. Bullying is defined as:

• Verbal harassment
• Physical harassment
• Cyber bullying
• Stealing
• Bullying that is motivated by race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation
• Stalking

2. Teachers in Northeastern schools are hereby required to report all cases of bullying to their schools, school districts, fellow teachers, parents of the bully(s), parents of the student(s) being bullied, and if necessary, local law enforcement.

3. Bullying is hereby defined as a criminal offense.  Acts of bullying, as mentioned in section 1, are punishable through community service hours, after-school suspension, in-school suspension, expulsion, a monetary fine to be paid by the parents of the bully(s), or jail time, depending on the degree of the crime.

4. High schools are responsible for addressing the topic of bullying through lectures, health class assignments, or yearly assemblies.

5. The Northeast government shall subsidize anti-bullying and teen suicide prevention centers.

6. The Northeast shall apply for the appropriate funding for this law from the federal government, in compliance with The Atlasian Anti-bullying Bill 2011.

I will officially be withdrawing my constitutional amendment proposal.

The Dihydrogen Monoxide Ban Act

Recognizing that dihydrogen monoxide is a substance more addictive than heroin, crack cocaine, or crystal meth, and causes severe withdrawal symptoms upon cessation of use, that dihydrogen monoxide is a frequently used "party drug," that well-known athletes have been known to abuse dihydrogen monoxide in order to increase performance, that the vast majority of users of cannabis, cocaine, meth, PCP and other drugs have reported "swigging" as a gateway behavior, that dihydrogen monoxide is often sweetened with sugar and marketed to small children in flavors like "cherry" and "root beer," and that dihydrogen monoxide is often mixed with other narcotics to enhance their effects, dihydrogen monoxide is hereby banned in the Northeast region.  Any stocks found are to be incinerated.

As a Representative that lives in an area bordered by two Great Lakes, I oppose this ban ;)

I'm just gonna assume this is a joke bill. If not, I'm very concerned.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrogen_monoxide_hoax (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrogen_monoxide_hoax)

The Incredibly Important Act

The Northeast Region shall hereafter be renamed "The Funky Northeast Love Pad."

If we get to those bills before the session ends, would anybody else be in favor of limiting debate time for these to... oh, say... five minutes? :)

Second Northeast Tax Reform Act of 2011

Income Tax

1. All individual state income taxes are hereby repealed and replaced with a region-wide progressive tax system, with a minimum of 2.5% and a maximum of 6%. Those deemed to be under the poverty line are not required to pay regional income tax.

Sales Tax

1. All individual state sales taxes are hereby repealed and replaced with a region-wide 6% sales tax.

2. A Sales Tax shall not be levied on "essential" living items such as clothing, produce, water, meat, etc.

Cigarette Tax

1. Cigarettes are hereby levied with a 4% tax when purchased.

Alcohol Tax

1. Alcohol is hereby levied with a 4% tax when purchased.

X Cincinnatus

If only we could..

Got the idea from Dallasfan-


Section 1 of the Standing Order on Assembly Procedure Act is hereby amended.

For the record, I would like to carry all legislation introduced in the previous session to the current session.

Introduced upon the recommendation of a constituent.

Just because it's not in the new constitution.  Plus, maybe we'll debate changing one of these.

As my first serious act upon my re-election to the Assembly, I officially support this measure.

I'd like to propose The Government Responsibility Act of 2012:

1). Hold total state spending growth at inflation rate
2). Require 2/3 majority to pass any further tax increases
3). Require that all members of the legislature return all of their leftover campaign funds to the treasury at the beginning of each new session
4). Require a balanced budget each Fiscal Year

bump?

Also, I'd like to propose the following, more moderate bill:

The Fair Taxation Act of 2012, which will:

1) Eliminate income tax for all citizens of the northeast who make below $15,000/year
2) Require 2/3 majority in legislature to raise taxes on citizens with annual income below 3 times the poverty line

A BILL to repeal and prohibit Northeastern laws that are found to be religiously motivated or otherwise unnecessary

1.) All existing laws which prohibit the consumption or sale of beer, wine, and spirits at neighborhood grocery and package stores on any day of the week are hereby repealed.

2.) All existing laws which prohibit gambling on any day of the week are hereby repealed.

3.) Town records may hereby be kept where liquor is sold.

4.) It is hereby legal to dispose of used razor blades.

5.) All legal firearms may be discharged in public highways, provided that they do not result in the harm of innocent citizens.

6.) Brothels are hereby legal in the Northeast.

7.) The sale of fireworks is hereby permitted to all Northeast residents above the age of seventeen.

8.) Hunting licenses and fishing licenses are no longer necessary to hunt or fish on one's own private property.

9.) On no day of any week are hunting or fishing prohibited activities.

10.) Players of professional sports shall not have to obtain a license to play on Sundays.

11.) "R"-rated movies are hereby allowed to be shown in drive-in theaters.

12.) The Northeast government may not prohibit activities on a given day of the week for religious reasons.

A BILL to mandate that all food producers, retailers, and restaurants label their products with nutrition and ingredient facts

1.) 'Edible substances' shall be defined as any nourishing substance that is sold to be eaten or drunk.

2.) Food sellers, producers, retailers, and restaurants must label all edible substances and products.

3.) All food labels must contain the following information:

• Calories
• Total Fat
• Saturated Fat
• Trans Fat
• Cholesterol
• Sodium
• Total Carbohydrates
• Dietary Fiber
• Sugar
• Protein
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Iron
• Ingredients

4.) All genetically modified products must contain a label identifying them as such.

5.) Aforementioned information may be placed on labels, wrappers, packaging, windows, and walls.

6.) If aforementioned information is printed on a label, it must be bold and no smaller than 10-point size.

7.) Food sellers which fail to comply with this law shall be fined $150,000 per offense7

Is it okay if I submit the same bill with #12 removed?  Also, is this prohibiting the statewide banning or the banning of Blue Laws passed by individual communities?

You can amend that #12 be removed when it comes to the floor, but I would consider that amendment unfriendly and it would have to go to the floor for a vote.  My bill is intended to prohibit blue laws in all Northeastern communities.

For the future, please discuss upcoming legislation in the protest thread.  We are technically violating SOAP rules by discussing this here.

Because we still don't have a budget to consider, I'm just going to go ahead and propose my tax plan now.  I will halt my legislation and amend it to the budget instead if one comes up beforehand.


A BILL to implement a tax code into the 2012 budget

Section 1.) Corporate Tax rates shall be as follows

Corporate Taxes, Income
0%   $0 - $10,000
2%   $10,000 - $50,000
9%   $50,000 - $75,000
13%   $75,000 - $100,000
20%   $100,000 - $335,000
24%   $335,000 - $10,000,000
28%   $10,000,000 - $15,000,000
30%   $15,000,000 +

Section 2.) Income Tax rates shall be as follows

Income Taxes, Single Individual
0%   $0 - $9,500
9%   $9,501 - $35,000
15%   $35,001 - $80,000
19%   $80,001 - $170,000
23%   $170,001 - $367,700
25%   $367,701 - $1,000,000
28%   $1,000,001 - $2,500,000
30%   $2,500,001 +

Section 3.) All tax rates in this bill shall expire at the start of the next fiscal year.

If your income range is between $0 and $10,000, your tax rate on every dollar of income earned is 1%.
If your income range is between $10,000 and $20,000, your tax rate on every dollar of income earned is 2%.
If your income range is between $20,000 and $25,000, your tax rate on every dollar of income earned is 4%.
If your income range is between $25,000 and $35,000, your tax rate on every dollar of income earned is 6%.
If your income range is between $35,000 and $50,000, your tax rate on every dollar of income earned is 8%.
If your income range is between $50,000 and $1,000,000, your tax rate on every dollar of income earned is 9%.
If your income range is $1,000,001 and over, your tax rate on every dollar of income earned is 10%.

All rates indexed to inflation, so as to avoid the poor being forced into higher brackets in the future.  Reminding that this is in addition to federal taxation

I propose the Anti-Prohibition Act of 2012:

1) Complete decriminalization of all illegal drug substances
2) Repeal of gun control laws in the northeast
3) Complete legalization of prostitution

I hereby propose the Line of Succession Amendment:

If the office of the Speaker of the Assembly, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Governor of the Northeast is vacant, then the Northeast Assembly may designate a new speaker by a simple majority vote.

In light of both tax plans failing to secure passage, I propose the following:

The Fair Taxation Act of 2012:

A 5% sales tax on all regional transactions.  Period.

Repeal of the Anti-Prohibition Act of 2012:

1) Complete decriminalization of all illegal drug substances
2) Repeal of gun control laws in the northeast
3) Complete legalization of prostitution

This bill goes way over the top.  Any society has the right to be protected against the abuse that would be generated as a result of the above completely irresponsible legislation. 

Article II Section 9 is hereby amended as:

 

Amendment to new SOPA

The sections under "Legislative Slot 2" and "Legislative Slot 3" shall be deleted and replaced with the following:

Legislative Slot 2: Any legislation proposed by an Assemblyman or the Governor shall be placed in this slot, in the order that it is proposed.

Before I make a law, what are the current laws relating to unions in the Northeast and Atlasia?

I propose the Northeast School Uniforms Act

All students in Northeast schools will wear uniforms K-12.
Uniforms for girls will consist of a blazer, white shirt, tie, skirt or slacks. 
Uniforms for boys will consist of a blazer, white shirt, tie, slacks. 

Each school will be free to choose colors for the uniforms.

Article II Section 9 is hereby amended as:

(inspired by http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/25/us-usa-cheney-idUSBRE82N0FK20120325)

The Friendship Act

The state-endorsed televison show of the Northeast Region shall be My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

I am presenting the following bill

Northeast Region Distracted Drivers Act

All vehicle opertors while driving in the Northeast Region shall be restricted from the following activities:
 
-using hand-held cell phones
-texting or e-mailing
-using electronic devices like laptop computers, video games, cameras, video entertainment displays and programming portable audio players, e.g. MP3 players
-entering information on GPS units
-reading printed materials in the vehicle
-writing, printing or sketching
-personal grooming
-smoking
-drinking of any beverage
-eating of any food

Applies to all vehicles, including bicycles
Applies to all roads in both urban and rural areas of the Northeast Region

The penalty for the first offence shall be a fine of $200.00

The penalty for the second offence shall be a fine of $400.00

The penalty for the third offence shall be a fine of $600.00, suspension of the driver's license, and confiscaton of the vehicle until such time as the driver has completed a distracted drivers course and a safe driving course

Any further offences will result in charges being laid, cancellation of the driver's license with the driver being forbidden to operate a vehicle in the Northeast Region for such a period of time as determined by the courts

Animals are our Friends Act

All public animal shelters in the Northeast region shall institute a no-kill policy for animals deemed to be adoptable after a temperament test, unless the animal is in irreversible chronic pain or terminally ill.

I am reintroducing my Distracted Drivers Act, with changes made as to restrictions while driving and to penalties.

Northeast Region Distracted Drivers Act

All vehicle opertors while driving in the Northeast Region shall be restricted from the following activities:
 
-using hand-held cell phones
-texting or e-mailing
-using electronic devices like laptop computers, video games, cameras, video entertainment displays and programming portable audio players, e.g. MP3 players
-entering information on GPS units
-reading printed materials in the vehicle
-writing, printing or sketching
-personal grooming

Applies to all vehicles, including bicycles
Applies to all roads in both urban and rural areas of the Northeast Region

The penalty for the first offence shall be a fine of $200.00

The penalty for the second offence shall be a fine of $400.00

The penalty for the third offence shall be a fine of $600.00, and the driver must complete a mandatory distracted drivers course and a mandatory safe driving course

Any further offences will result in a fine of $1000.00 per offence, with further mandatory distracted driving and safe driving courses required.

Miscellaneous Things Act

1. Tioga County, Pennsylvania shall be renamed Futtbuck County, Pennsylvania.

2. The Naso Theatre of the Northeast shall be constructed in Northeast Philadelphia. Only movies produced in the 1980s will be shown. Showings will be in black and white, and will be free for all Northeast residents.

3. State law enforcement officers must notify a suspect of his or her Wormy Rights upon arrest.

4. Governors shall be given a numbering sequence. The current governor shall be Governor Napoleon I, followed by Governor Napoleon II, then Governor Napoleon III, and so on. Governors may insert their own name for convenience: Governor "Name" Napoleon "Number".

5. School lunches shall have a soy milk alternative.
,
6. The Northeast Region shall provide $50 million to the University of Connecticut to create the Homelycooking Library of Elections and Statistics, with the goal of becoming the world's largest database of election results.

7. Gillette Stadium is hereby declared an environmental emergency zone. Clean up projects may take up to six years.

Article II, Section 7 of the Northeast Constitution is hereby amended to read:

The Governor has the power to make political appointments and serve as the official representative of the Region to the rest of Atlasia. The primary responsibility of the Governor shall be to execute laws passed by the Legislative Assembly of the Northeast and to promote the interests of the region abroad.  The Governor is also obligated to routinely update the Wiki when new legislation is passed, vetoed, or rejected by the Assembly.  If the Governor is unable to edit the Wiki or obtain access to it, the Speaker may do so instead.

Unfortunately, these things never work. Hey, I can't even edit the Wiki!

Someone's gotta do it. :P

I hereby move to reintroduce the Northeast School Uniforms Act as proposed in the last session by Assemblyman Winfield.

The Northeast Minimum Wage Act of 2012

1. Provisions 2 and 3 of the New Northeast Minimum Wage Act are hereby repealed.
2. The Northeast minimum wage shall be equivalent to the current Federal minimum wage plus 50 cents.
3. The Northeast minimum wage shall increase concurrent to the Federal minimum wage.

The Northeast Healthy Skin Act 2012

Given the cancerous causing effects of tanning beds on the human body, tanning beds and tanning salons are to be banned in the Northeast Region.

The ban shall be phased in over a period of one year.   



 

()

Here goes........

Northeast Budget Procedure Act

Section One: Revenues
1. Each budget presented shall demonstrate sources of revenue in total dollars.
Federal funding-
Income taxation-
Sales taxation-
Property taxation-
Business taxation-
Excise taxation-

Section Two: Expenditures
1. Each budget presented shall demonstrate public expenditures in total dollars.
Law Enforcement/Military-
Education-
Health care-
Infrastructure (including transportation and utilities)-
Environment-
Administration-
Local governments (states, counties, municipalities)-
Miscellaneous (including other investments)-
2. Any spending bills must be tagged with their budget category. Duration of expenditure (one-time, short-term (in years), long-term (in effect until repealed via statute), etc.) shall be noted in the law.

Section Three: Responsibilites
1. The Governor is responsible for presenting a budget to the Assembly in accordance with the Constitution.
2. The Assembly shall hold an approval vote on the budget in the Northeast Assembly Thread to pass with a simple majority vote.
3. The Game Moderator and Secretary of Internal Affairs shall assist the Governor and Assembly by providing the necessary data.

Section Four: Future Budgets
1. Future budgets will be able to build off of previous budgets when applicable. Additional revenues and expenditures may be added to or removed from the budget via line-item.

1. The Northeast Region shall establish a high speed rail authority to develop, construct and maintain a High Speed Rail network.
2. This system shall reach the major cities of the region.
3. The average speed of the network's trains shall not fall below 200 miles per hour.
4. A minimum of half all of all funding should come from non-public sources.

Northeast Budget and Tax Committee Resolution.

The Governor, the Speaker and other named by the Assembly shall work with the SoIA and GM for no longer than two weeks to create a budget and taxation plan for the regions future.

Having walked over to Penn Station and realizing that there are high-speed trains I hadn't seen before, I withdraw this bill.

Sbane Windfarm Act

1) Immediately allow establishment of wind farms on the entire continental shelf of the Northeast region.
2) Only big, slow rotating windmills that don't kill birds will be allowed.
3) There must be a community consultation process prior to the construction of any wind power turbine, as well as a environmental impact study of the site and surrounding area.
 4) The state can take part ownership of projects up to 49% in order to help startups and companies wanting to share the risk. Profits realized from the endeavor will be shared with the state, with profit sharing being proportional to ownership.
5) The state will assist utilities in building transmission lines to transport this energy from the coast. Improvements to the existing grid shall be made to accomodate this increase in electricity production and to deliver it efficiently to population centers.
6) Funding for provisions 4 and 5 shall come from the repeal of the Freedom to Drive Act. The Regional Gas Tax rate goes back to the level before the imposition of the moratorium.

Since the Senate has deemed this to be in the purview of the regions, I am proposing it here.

I am also proposing this...

I am re-reintroducing this, as I was going to draft my own but realized one had already been proposed:

Candidacy Declaration Act

1) Valid declarations of candidacy for scheduled Northeast elections must be posted in the Candidate Declaration Thread no more than two months prior to the scheduled election.
2) Valid declarations of candidacy for special Northeast elections  must be posted in the Candidate Declaration Thread after the election's announcement but before the election is set to begin.
3) Only valid declarations of candidacy will be listed on the ballot.

The Northeast Region Gambling Benefits Act

All casinos and establishments engaged in gambling practices in the Northeast Region shall turn over 90% of their earnings to the Northeast Region government.

The proceeds will be used for programs benefitting the people of the Northeast Region.

Gambling, alcohol, tobacco, and drug addiction recovery programs.

Gambling, alcohol, tobacco, and drug education programs designed to educate citizens, in particular youth and young adults, on the harmful effects of gambling, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use.

Education Effort Reward Act

Northeastern high school students attending public Northeastern universities shall receive a tuition reward of 100 dollars per grade point if a student's GPA is 3.5 or higher. This reward is renewable for each year of tuition based off of the previous year's GPA.

Northeast Bicycle Safety Act

In an effort to more effectively prevent or curb potential injury to bicycle riders in the Northeast, all bicycle and tricycle riders, of all ages, are to wear approved standard bicycle helmets.

The Northeast Region Gambling Benefits Act (Revised)

25% of all tax revenues received from casinos and from any other form of gambling in the Northeast Region go into gambling, alcohol, tobacco, and drug addiction revovery programs and into gambling, alcohol, tobacco, and drug education programs designed to educate Northeast citizens, in particular youth and young adults, on the harmful effects of gambling, alcohol, toacco, and drug use.

Reintroducing, so that Governor Nix can sign it:


1 - All fines issued to individuals in accordance with the laws of the Northeast Region will be indexed to personal income.

2 - Any person earning the median income for the region or less will pay all fines in full. Individuals earning more will pay an increased fine based on the following formula: [(personal income/median personal income) X standard fine].

To make things easier for you guys...

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SECTION 1. TITLE

This act may be cited as the 'Capital Relocation Amendment.’

SECTION 2. AMENDMENT

Article I, paragraph II of the Northeast Constitution is hereby amended to read:

The administrative center for the government of the Northeast Region established in this Constitution shall be [currently existing city].

SECTION 3. EFFECTIVENESS

This amendment shall go into effect upon the finalization of the capital city as designated by the appropriate legislation.

Why Hartford? We haven't decided on the capital yet.

We haven't?  I assumed we did.  My apology. :P

Here is a compromised version of the bill that was recently killed by the Assembly.  This bill, instead of designating the construction of a completely new city, will merely order the expansion of an already existing city in the Northeast Region.  The city itself can be determined at the discretion of the Assembly.

Because this would only be for an expansion and not a new development, I felt it appropriate to cut the estimated price from the last bill in half to $10 billion.  Lastly, I added a section to the bill that grants businesses which start or expand in the section a 2% cut in regional corporate taxes so as to promote economic activity.

---

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the ‘Capital Act of 2012.’

SECTION 2. APPROPRIATIONS

1.) The Northeast Government is hereby charged with the responsibility of developing a new section of [city name] for the purpose of capital relocation.

2.) This city section shall be funded using monies from a budget surplus.

3.) $10 billion of Building Bonds will be issued to fund construction in the case of the diminution of the budget surplus.

SECTION 3. DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW CITY SECTION

1.) The new city section will be designed in accordance with the ideals of New Urbanism as explicated in the New Urbanist Manifesto.

2.) The construction and administration of the capital will be charged to an Administrator of the city section, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Assembly. The Administrator shall have the duty of supervising the planning, construction, and running of the city section until its completion.

3.) The design and naming of the city section will be approved by the Assembly.

4.) This city section shall be rendered fit for habitation and occupation by the Assembly and Governor in no more than one year.

5.) Upon completion, the new city section will be within the boundaries and jurisdiction of the city government.

SECTION 4. BUSINESS INCENTIVE

Businesses that start or expand in the city section will be granted a 2% cut in corporate taxes.

In order to protect public funds, I am introducing a new bill into the Northeast Assembly to be known as

The Winfield Doctrine

Whenever public funds are dispersed in the Northeast for construction projects, or for any other purpose where public funds are expended, the residents of the Northeast are to be protected against any cost overruns.

The government of the Northeast shall not permit any additional costs to be added onto the final cost by any firm that has been successful in procuring a contract to do work for the government of the Northeast.  Any additional costs that the successful bidders may incur, over and above what they have bid originally, will be borne by the firm that submitted the successful bid. 

Would Scott be considered a member of "the people" inasmuch he is not a member of the legislature?

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the ‘Speaker Succession Amendment.’

SECTION 2. AMENDMENT

Article II, Section XIII of the Northeast Constitution is hereby amended:

The Speaker of the Northeast Legislative Assembly acts as the Presiding Officer of the Northeast Legislative Assembly. He or she organizes votes on legislation and notifies the Representatives of the results of any official vote.  The chain of command for the Speaker of the Northeast Assembly shall be as follows: Lieutenant Governor, Chief Judicial Officer, longest continuously serving Representative, followed by the next longest and the next and so on.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the ‘Capital Referendum Act of 2012.’

SECTION 2. BALLOT REFERENDUM

1.) In the following election, the Governor will be authorized to include the following referendum on the Northeast regional election ballot:

Proposition 1: Northeast Capital Location

In what city should the Northeast government seek to locate the capital in?

[  ] New Haven, CT
[  ] Buffalo, NY
[  ] Rochester, NY
[  ] Walden, NY
[  ] Write-in:___________________
[  ] Keep the location as is
[  ] Abstain

2.) The selected location shall be determined via preferential vote.

3.) The Northeast government will be obligated to honor the decision of its constituents, and will name the new location of the capital with the appropriate amendment.

SAFE SPORTS EVENTS ACT

In order to keep professional sports events safer for all concerned, both during the event and post event, the sale of alcoholic beverages of any kind shall be prohibited at any professional sports event held in the Northeast Region.

SAFE WALKING ACT

In order to decrease incidents of accidents, injury, and death caused by people walking while paying attention to electronic instruments, i.e. texting and reading on smart phones and tablets, known as distracted walking, such practices that distract people from paying attention to what is going on around them shall be prohibited by law.

The fines for being convicted of distracted walking shall be first offence $50.00, 2nd offence $100.00, 3rd offence $200.00.   

Job Creation and Infrastructure Renewal Act

1. Half of the surplus funds from the Northeast Region's budget will go into a fund created by the regional government to support immediate and direct job creation through public works and infrastructure building.

2. The fund will be administered by a Committee for Public Works, the members of which will be selected by the Governor of the Northeast Region.

3. This act will not take effect unless there is a surplus in the regional budget.

4. This act will be automatically repealed once the regional unemployment rate is below 6% for three consecutive months.

As the last day of this session is fast approaching, I will not be bringing this bill to the floor during this session.  This bill, as does any other bill, deserves to have a fair and adequate debate period, so all points of view can be heard without rushing it through.

In fairness to all concerned, the new Speaker can bring this to the floor in the new session.

I know this might not make it to a vote by the end of the session, but I am putting this here so we can bring it to the floor by the start of the new session.

I think we need an official procedure on what to do when there is a tie in the election for Lieutenant Governor, in order to avoid future confusion.

I'm withdrawing my previous in favor of this amendment.

Re-introducing bill for new session.

Education Act

1. The Northeast Secretary of Education shall create a regional Board of Education, composed of Northeast citizens chosen by the Secretary, over which they will preside and set the rules of its governing.

2. All persons attempting to procure teaching licenses in the Northeast must pass a standardized test written by the Board.

3. The Board shall have jurisdiction over all K-12 education policy and teacher benefits, including but not limited to: curricula, standards, benefits, pay, and tenure.

4. The Board shall distribute the educational funding allotted in the Northeast Budget as it sees fit.

Capital Must Stay Act

Whereas the City of New York is the greatest cultural beacon of the world, and whereas New York City is the most culturally, ethnically, linguistically, religiously, and holistically diverse city in the world, and whereas New York City has been the capital of the Northeast, and a cross-section of all Atlasia for centuries, I hereby submit the Capital Must Stay Act of 2012.  New York City represents diversity, culture, and beauty; it represents all the great people that make up our great nation.

Under this Act:

The capital of the Northeast would remain in New York City.

Aerospace Commission Act of 2012

- create a 5-member board, appointed by the NE governor and subject to confirmation by the NE legislature
- eliminate sales and property taxes on any aerospace corporation based in the NE
- give incentive in the form of tax credits and grants to any corporation achieving certain goals established by the board within a certain amount of time, (ex. Launching a solar-sail powered spacecraft by 2015, landing on Mars by 2026, creating an ultra lightweight solar panel which can be used to power a solar sail, etc), all of which must be approved by a majority of the legislature and the governor

Northeast Online Gambling Freedom Act

Under this act all online gambling would be legal, with 5% of winnings being required to be donated to a charity of the winner's choice.


(I'm unsure whether online gambling was affected by the other Gambling Acts)

Standardized Testing Reform Act

1. This act would require that all standardized tests switch to a more in-depth model, which requires them to truly think about each question, requiring more than half of the questions to be non-multiple choice, so that the answers reflect more knowledge than mere memorization.

2. The multiple choice questions will be more complex and fewer so that each answer represents a careful thought process and each question represents evaluation on learning, rather than learning for the evaluation.

3. There will also be more essay and short response questions so that students learn that being able to explain something is the best way to evaluate their knowledge on subject matter.

As an alternative to the governor's proposal,


- All speed limits on divided highways are hereby raised to 70 miles per hour
- All major highways have their speed limits increased to 80 miles per hour
- Regional funding for a highspeed rail in the amount of 50% of all expenses (during construction only) for any business that wishes to build the rail, though said business must be approved by the governor and a majority of the legislature.
- A tax break equivalent to 50% of all operating expenses shall be given to all private roads which add carpool lanes (I'm unsure of current law regarding carpool lanes in the NE)
- A "super license" program is to be created, which will create a lane for all major highways reserved only for people with "super licenses."  These "super licenses" will be given to any applicant over the age of 21 who passes a much more rigorous version of the Driver's Exam with a perfect or near-perfect score.  This license entitles them to drive up to 100 miles per hour in specially reserved "super license lanes."  Anyone caught in a super license lane without a super license has their license rescinded, effective immediately, and is slapped with a $5000 fine.

The Absentee Ballot act
1a. All candidates wishing to get ballot status must declare their candidacy 4 days before the election.
1b. Any candidate declaring afterwards must run as a write in.

2.After this point any citizen can PM their vote to the Governor or a designated Representative, which will then be held in reserve, to be counted with the regular ballots.

Northeast Power to the Teacher Act:

1. The teachers of the Northeast are responsible for all non-standardized testing

2. The teachers of the NE have the option to assign homework and/or projects regarding district-mandated curriculum. (I.e. the district says that all fourth-graders must read Tom Sawyer.  The teachers can choose to assign a book report, a research project on the south during the mid-1800s, a research project on Mark Twain, etc.).

3. The teachers of the NE have the opportunity to follow whatever schedule they wish for all mandatory curriculum.

1. The gambling tax is hereby reduced by 5%.

2. Anybody who wins 100$ or more through gambling is required to donate at least 5% of his winning to any charity of his choice.

Standardized Testing Reform Act

1. This act would require that all standardized tests switch to a more in-depth model, which requires them to truly think about each question, requiring more than half of the questions to be non-multiple choice, so that the answers reflect more knowledge than mere memorization.

2. The multiple choice questions will be more complex and fewer so that each answer represents a careful thought process and each question represents evaluation on learning, rather than learning for the evaluation.

3. There will also be more essay and short response questions so that students learn that being able to explain something is the best way to evaluate their knowledge on subject matter.

4. All tests shall be set by individual schools within these parameters

On behalf of Nix:

The Medical research act

1. All drug companies have to be registered with the Northeastern Government to be allowed to sell  their products.
2. To be registered in the Northeast drugs companies must spend at least 70% of revenue on research and development, or related costs.

1. Beginning July 1, 2013, all publications and official documents published by the Northeast government shall be done so on at least 80% recycled paper.
2. Beginning January 1, 2014, all buildings and vehicles operated by the Northeast government shall be fully powered by clean and renewable "green" energy sources.
3. The Governor shall assemble a task-force to determine the exact form of alternative energy to be used in specific locations around the region to ensure that the .  The task-form shall be required to find the cheapest, most environmentally friendly, and largest job-producing energy option.
4. The task-force shall be composed of no more than twenty-five independent members who shall represent environmental groups, representatives of the executive departments, local business groups, and local citizens.
5. Begging January 1, 2013, all government buildings shall be required to provide recycling reciprocals in convenient locations for both visitors and workers.
6. The Northeast government shall request an independent agency to conduct an annual review on all government buildings to determine their carbon footprint and environmental impact.   

The Northeast Drugs bill
1. For a drug to be legally sold in the northeast it must be registered with the northeast government.
2 The Northeast government may only approve a new drug if it is proven in independent clinical trials to be better than any other similar drugs and a placebo.

1. Beginning July 1, 2013, all publications and official documents published by the Northeast government shall be on at least 80% recycled paper.
2. Beginning January 1, 2017, all buildings and vehicles operated by the Northeast government shall derive at least two-thirds of their power from clean and renewable "green" energy sources.[/quote]
3. The Governor shall oversee the creation of a Clean Government Authority to determine the exact form of alternative energy to be used in specific locations around the region.  The Clean Government Authority shall be tasked with finding the cheapest, most environmentally friendly, and largest job-producing energy options.
4. The Clean Government Authority's board of directors shall be composed of no more than twenty-five independent members who shall represent environmental groups, representatives of the executive departments, local business groups, and local citizens.
5. Beginning January 1, 2013, all government buildings shall be required to provide recycling reciprocals in convenient locations for both visitors and workers.
6. The Clean Government Authority shall conduct an annual review on all government buildings to determine their carbon footprint and environmental impact.

Credit, of course, goes to Barnes.

Continuing Budget Resolution
1. To provide for a continuance in regional funding, the provisions of the July 2012 regional budget shall be extended until November 10, 2012, or until a new budget is passed, if that date is sooner.

Amendment to the SOAP

In order to provide for the confirmation process in the event of a gubernatorial appointment, the SOAP is amended as follows:


The sections of the SOAP following this amendment shall be renumbered accordingly.

Gubernatorial special election amendment
Article II of the New Northeast Constitution is amended as follows:



Subsequent clauses shall be re-numbered accordingly. 

The Bi-Lingual Education Act
1. Beginning with the 2014-15 class of Kindergartners, the Northeast government shall implement the instruction of both English and Spanish as primary languages.
2. This instruction shall be implemented one additional grade level per academic year, following the aforementioned Kindergarten class.  Following this schedule, English and Spanish shall both be taught as primary languages to all K-12 levels by the 2027-28 school year.
3. The same requirement shall be instituted for private schools, but not for home schools.
4. School districts may choose, at their discretion, to implement full Spanish language classes to other elementary school grades during this period.

During the entirety of the Christmas sales period, the following tax credits shall be extended to Northeastern retailers that meet the following conditions:
1) For all businesses with a majority of their products "Made in Atlasia" - a credit equal to 5% of their Christmas sales revenue.
2) For all businesses with a majority of their products "Made in Atlasia" as well as "Made in the Northeast" - a credit equal to 10% of their Christmas sales revenue.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the ‘New Capital Relocation Amendment of 2012.’

SECTION 2. CAPITAL RELOCATION

Article I of the Northeast Constitution is amended:

The administrative center for the government of the Northeast Region established in this Constitution shall be New York City, NY. Buffalo, NY.

Expenditures

$50 billion - School aid
$45 billion - Economic development
$35 billion - Transportation
$25 billion - Public safety
$25 billion - Higher education
$22 billion - Health services
$15 billion - Tax expenditures
$7 billion - Environment & energy
$3 billion - Direct aid & incentives to municipalities
$2 billion - Government administration

TOTAL EXPENDITURES - $229 billion


PROJECTED SURPLUS - $11.5 billion
- 50% of the surplus will be placed in a fund reserved for emergencies. The Northeast Assembly will have the power to allocate this funding.
- If the Northeast Region passes the New Capital Relocation Amendment, 50% of the surplus will go toward the development of a new regional capital. If the Northeast does not pass the New Capital Relocation Amendment, this funding will also be placed in the emergency fund.

PROPOSED TAXES

Income tax
0.0%    $0 - $24,999
1.0%    $25,000 - $49,9999
2.0%    $50,000 - $99,999
4.0%    $100,000 - $249,999
6.5%  $250,000 - $999,999
9.0%   $1,000,000 +

Rates remain the same for married couples filing jointly, but brackets are doubled.

Sales tax
4.5% [excludes groceries, clothing, and footwear]

Property tax
$35 per mil on assessed value of unimproved land

Excise Taxes
Gas: 68 cents per gallon
Diesel: 85 cents per gallon
New automobile purchase tax (by curb weight): $500 per thousand kilograms
Tanning: 33 and 1/3 cents per minute [tax already exists per Northeast Healthy Skin Act]

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the 'Northeast Independence Act of 2012.'

SECTION 2. REQUEST FOR INDIVIDUAL BOARD TO BE MAINTAINED IN THE ATLAS FANTASY GOVERNMENT CHILD BOARDS

1. The Northeast Region hereby formally requests from Mr. David LEIP the creation of a sub-board of the "Atlas Fantasy Government" board to be entitled Northeast Region; this board shall deal with all matters related to the Northeast Region.

2. The Governor of the Northeast Region will be responsible for writing and sending this request.

Continuing Budget Resolution No. 2
1. To provide for a continuance in regional funding, the provisions of the July 2012 regional budget shall be extended until November 18, 2012, or until a new budget is passed, if that date is sooner.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the ‘Smarter Spending Act of 2012.’

SECTION 2. EXTENSION OF AVAILABILITY OF YEAR-END SAVINGS IN SALARIES AND EXPENSES

1.) 50 percent of a regional agency's unspent funds the end of a fiscal session shall remain available to that agency for subsequent fiscal sessions.

2.) 50 percent of these unspent funds shall be remitted to the Treasury and used for the purpose of deficit reduction.

3.) Unspent funds carried to a subsequent fiscal session may not be taken into account in determining the amount by which an agency will be funded for each fiscal session.

4.) The Governor will be responsible for oversight and reporting how much money which is saved by this legislation is allocated toward the deficit per session.

5.) This act shall go into effect at the start of the next fiscal session.

SECTION 3. CREATION OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE FOR DEBT REDUCTION

1.) The Governor will be authorized to create and maintain a five-member Commission of appointed citizens to look for departments of regional government that can be merged or eliminated, as well as excessive bureaucracy or formalities that can be reduced, under the condition that these changes do not reduce benefits or the sustainability of necessary programs.

2.) During the next fiscal session, the Governor shall report how much money the Commission found can be saved upon making the spending reductions.

AND

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the 'Line Item Veto Amendment of 2012.'

SECTION 2. LINE ITEM VETO AMENDMENT

1.) Article II, Section 8 of the Northeast Constitution is hereby amended:


EDIT: WITHDRAWN.  I see few instances in which this could actually be useful...

1.  Section 3, subsection G of the Northeast SOAP is hereby amended to read;

G. The Speaker shall have the authority to extend or shorten the debate period upon the written request of any Representative.  Except as provided by Section 3, subsection J, total debate time can never exceed 120 hours, and never be less than 36 hours.

2.  Section 3, subsection J of the Northeast SOAP is hereby included and shall read as such;

J.  Total debate time for tri-annual budgets in the Northeast may never exceed 168 hours, and never be less than 72 hours.  

Amendments to the Bi-Lingual Education Act

The Bi-Lingual Education Act is amended as follows:

SECTION I: Title
This act may be cited as the "Protect Our Babies! Act of 2012".

SECTION II: The Infant Health Commission
1. The Northeast Department of Health and Human Services shall immediately establish a commission to be styled "The Infant Health Commission."
2. The purpose of the commission shall be to investigate the causes for infant health defects, developed during pregnancy or after birth, and their relation to access to adequate medical care as well as adequate sources of nutrition.
3. In relation to this goal, the commission shall investigate the current level of infant health care and nutrition within the Northeast as well as the current level of average infant nutrition.
4. The commission shall  and shall be composed of seven members representing leading medical, health, and nutrition specialists from within the region. The members of the commission shall be appointed by the Governor.
5. The commission shall be charged with issuing a final report from a year from its establishment.

SECTION III: The Infant Health Outreach Program
1. The Northeast Department of Health and Human Services shall immediately invest in a region-wide community outreach program - styled "The Infant Outreach Program" - to educate mothers and families about the needs of infants after birth and the availability of both federal and government programs that can assist them.
2. The Program shall also be charged to educate mothers and families about the necessary infant foods and formulas ness scary for safe and healthy growth.
3. The program shall consist of informational packets and pamphlets, workshops, informational classes, and personal interview and discussion meetings. These programs shall be made available in participating regional hospitals as well as all regional welfare, unemployment, and community centers throughout the region.

SECTION IV: Enactment date and funding
1. This bill shall take effect upon being signed by the governor. The commission established in Section II of this act shall begin its meetings by no later than March 1, 2013. The outreach program established in Section III of this act shall begin distribution on February 1, 2013.
2. This act shall be funded through the $22 billion allocated for health services in the Fiscal Year13' Nov-March Budget.

To the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia:

To all whom these presents may come we, the Represetatives of the Northeast Assembly, send greeting.
1. WHEREAS the wiki is severly lacking in updates, especially in the cagegories of statutes and court cases;
2. WHEREAS the regions depend on an updated wiki to pass and enforce their own laws;
3. THERFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mideast Assembly urges the the Senate to hold a hearing to determine what should be done to rectify the problem.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the ‘Omnibus Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 2012’ or the 'Taking Back Our Streets Act.'

SECTION 2. GUN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION

1.   The Northeast criminal code shall be amended to impose a fine no less than $500,000 and/or 20-year prison term on any person who:

(1.)   knowingly provides or receives from another person two or more firearms if such person knows or has reasonable cause to believe that such transfer would violate a federal, state, or local law punishable by a prison term of more than one year (i.e., a felony)
(2.)   makes materially false statements to a licensed firearm importer, dealer, or manufacturer relating to the purchase, receipt, or acquisition of two or more firearms; or
(3.)   knowingly violate firearms restrictions under the federal criminal code, including recordkeeping requirements.

2.   The Chief Judicial Officer will be authorized to revoke or suspend the license of a firearms dealer for failure to have secure gun storage or safety devices, for transporting armor piercing ammunition, or for violating other federal prohibitions on gun trafficking.

3.   The Chief Judicial Officer will be required to identify licensed firearms dealers who have a heightened risk of firearms being diverted to criminal use.

4.   The Department of Justice shall study and report to the Assembly on firearms that are lost or stolen during commercial shipping, and will hire additional personnel to enable inspections of gun dealers on a three-year cycle and requires the Director to hire additional investigators and special agents to address trafficking in firearms.

SECTION 3. CORPORATE CRIME DATABASE

The Chief Judicial Officer will be authorized to:

(1)   acquire data, for each calendar year, regarding all administrative, civil, and criminal judicial proceedings against any corporation or corporate official involving a felony or misdemeanor or civil charge where potential fines may be $1,000 or more;
(2)   establish and maintain a publicly available website on improper conduct by all corporations with annual revenues of more than $1 billion; and
(3)   prepare an annual report to the Assembly detailing the number of civil, administrative, and criminal enforcement actions brought against any corporation or corporate official and the final dispositions of such actions.

SECTION 4. FIGHTING GANGS AND EMPOWERING YOUTH

The Chief Judicial Officer will be authorized to:

(1.)   make grants to public and nonprofit private entities (including faith-based organizations) for projects involving innovative approaches to combat gang activity,
(2.)   make grants to states and other entities to increase police presence and expand and improve cooperative efforts to address gang activity problems
(3.)   make grants to state or local police departments to implement an anonymous tip program using cell phone text messaging to assist police in preventing and solving crimes
(4.)   designate high-intensity interstate gang activity areas
(5.)   authorize programs for combating criminal gangs, including after-school programs and programs for safe schools and communities
(6.)   implement a grant program for workplace and community transition training for incarcerated youth offenders (30 years of age or younger)
(7.)   make grants to public housing agencies and private, for-profit, and nonprofit owners of federally assisted low-income housing for use in eliminating gang-related crime
(8.)   award grants to assist communities located in a high-intensity interstate gang activity area in developing and carrying out programs that target certain at-risk youth and juvenile offenders
(9.)   authorize a gang resistance education and training projects program, and
(10.)   modify existing procedures and policies to improve the transition of federal prisoners into local communities

SECTION 5. LITERACY, EDUCATION, AND REHABILITATION REFORMS

1.   A prisoner serving a term of imprisonment of more than one year will be eligible to receive credit beyond time already served for up to 60 days each year, in addition to any credit received for satisfactory behavior, for earning a certificate of completion in, or for participating in or teaching, a designated program that benefits prisoners or the Bureau of Prisons, including specified educational and vocational, treatment, and work and developmental programs.

2.   The Chief Judicial Officer will establish the number of days a credit a prisoner may be awarded considering the difficulty, time required, responsibility expected, and rehabilitative benefits of the program

3.   Any person sentenced to a term of imprisonment under the Chief Judicial Officer’s custody may be eligible for the credits, including prisoners transferred from foreign countries.

SECTION 6. FUNDING

$14.5 billion shall be accumulated from the Public safety fund from the November-March Northeast Budget FY2013.

Human and Sexual Trafficking

Version a
Promotion of human trafficking; sexual trafficking of a minor; human trafficking

    Sec. 1. (a) A person who, by force, threat of force, or fraud, knowingly or intentionally recruits, harbors, or transports another person:
        (1) to engage the other person in:
            (A) forced labor; or
            (B) involuntary servitude; or
        (2) to force the other person into:
            (A) civil union;
            (B) prostitution; or
            (C) participating in sexual conduct;
commits promotion of human trafficking, a Class B felony.
    (b) A person who knowingly or intentionally recruits, harbors, or transports a child less than sixteen (16) years of age with the intent of:
        (1) engaging the child in:
            (A) forced labor; or
            (B) involuntary servitude; or
        (2) inducing or causing the child to:
            (A) engage in prostitution; or
            (B) participate in sexual conduct;
commits promotion of human trafficking of a minor, a Class B felony. It is not a defense to a prosecution under this subsection that the child consented to engage in prostitution or to participate in sexual conduct.
    (c) A person who is at least eighteen (18) years of age who knowingly or intentionally sells or transfers custody of a child less than sixteen (16) years of age for the purpose of prostitution or participating in sexual conduct commits sexual trafficking of a minor, a Class A felony.
    (d) A person who knowingly or intentionally pays, offers to pay, or agrees to pay money or other property to another person for an individual who the person knows has been forced into:
        (1) forced labor;
        (2) involuntary servitude; or
        (3) prostitution;
commits human trafficking, a Class C felony.

Version b
Promotion of human trafficking; sexual trafficking of a minor;

    Sec. 1. (a) A person who, by force, threat of force, or fraud, knowingly or intentionally recruits, harbors, or transports another person:
        (1) to engage the other person in:
            (A) forced labor; or
            (B) involuntary servitude; or
        (2) to force the other person into:
            (A) civil union;
            (B) prostitution; or
            (C) participating in sexual conduct;
commits promotion of human trafficking, a Class B felony.
    (b) A person who knowingly or intentionally recruits, harbors, or transports a child less than sixteen (16) years of age with the intent of:
        (1) engaging the child in:
            (A) forced labor; or
            (B) involuntary servitude; or
        (2) inducing or causing the child to:
            (A) engage in prostitution; or
            (B) participate in sexual conduct;
commits promotion of human trafficking of a minor, a Class B felony. Except as provided in subsection (e), it is not a defense to a prosecution under this subsection that the child consented to engage in prostitution or to participate in sexual conduct.
    (c) A person who is at least eighteen (18) years of age who knowingly or intentionally sells or transfers custody of a child less than sixteen (16) years of age for the purpose of prostitution or participating in sexual conduct commits sexual trafficking of a minor, a Class A felony.
    (d) A person who knowingly or intentionally pays, offers to pay, or agrees to pay money or other property to another person for an individual who the person knows has been forced into:
        (1) forced labor;
        (2) involuntary servitude; or
        (3) prostitution;
commits human trafficking, a Class C felony.
    (e) It is a defense to a prosecution under subsection (b)(2)(B) if:
        (1) the child is at least fourteen (14) years of age but less than sixteen (16) years of age and the person is less than eighteen (18) years of age; or
        (2) all the following apply:
            (A) The person is not more than four (4) years older than the victim.
            (B) The relationship between the person and the victim was a dating relationship or an ongoing personal relationship.

The term "ongoing personal relationship" does not include a family relationship.
            (C) The crime:
                (i) was not committed by a person who is at least twenty-one (21) years of age;
                (ii) was not committed by using or threatening the use of deadly force;
                (iii) was not committed while armed with a deadly weapon;
                (iv) did not result in serious bodily injury;
                (v) was not facilitated by furnishing the victim, without the victim's knowledge, with a drug or a controlled substance or knowing that the victim was furnished with the drug or controlled substance without the victim's knowledge; and
                (vi) was not committed by a person having a position of authority or substantial influence over the victim.
            (D) The person has not committed another sex offense, including a delinquent act that would be a sex offense if committed by an adult, against any other person.

Restitution orders
     Sec. 2. In addition to any sentence or fine imposed for a conviction of an offense under section 1 of this chapter, the court shall order the person convicted to make restitution to the victim of the crime.
Civil cause of action
     Sec. 3. (a) If a person is convicted of an offense under section 1 of this chapter, the victim of the offense:
        (1) has a civil cause of action against the person convicted of the offense; and
        (2) may recover the following from the person in the civil action:
            (A) Actual damages.
            (B) Court costs (including fees).
            (C) Punitive damages, when determined to be appropriate by the court.
            (D) Reasonable attorney's fees.
    (b) An action under this section must be brought not more than two (2) years after the date the person is convicted of the offense under section 1 of this chapter.

Rights of alleged victims
     Sec. 4. (a) An alleged victim of an offense under section 1 of this chapter:
        (1) may not be detained in a facility that is inappropriate to the victim's status as a crime victim;
        (2) may not be jailed, fined, or otherwise penalized due to having been the victim of the offense; and
        (3) shall be provided protection if the victim's safety is at risk or if there is danger of additional harm by recapture of the victim by the person who allegedly committed the offense, including:
            (A) taking measures to protect the alleged victim and the victim's family members from intimidation and threats of reprisals and reprisals from the person who allegedly committed the offense or the person's agent; and
            (B) ensuring that the names and identifying information of the alleged victim and the victim's family members are not disclosed to the public.
This subsection shall be administered by law enforcement agencies and the Northeast criminal justice institute as appropriate.
(C) The Northeast shall grant asylum to any victim that is not an Atlasian national provided approval from the national government
    (b) Not more than fifteen (15) days after the date a law enforcement agency first encounters an alleged victim of an offense under section 1 of this chapter, the law enforcement agency shall provide the alleged victim with a completed Declaration of Law Enforcement Officer for Victim of Trafficking in Persons. However, if the law enforcement agency finds that the grant of an LEA Declaration is not appropriate for the alleged victim, the law enforcement agency shall, not more than fifteen (15) days after the date the agency makes the finding, provide the alleged victim with a letter explaining the grounds for the denial of the LEA Declaration. After receiving a denial letter, the alleged victim may submit additional evidence to the law enforcement agency. If the alleged victim submits additional evidence, the law enforcement agency shall reconsider the denial of the LEA Declaration not more than seven (7) days after the date the agency receives the additional evidence.

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(Source of original bill: http://www.ai.org/legislative/ic/code/title35/ar42/ch3.5.html)

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the ‘Building and Upgrading Infrastructure for Long-Term Development Act of 2012’ or the ‘BUILD Act.’

SECTION 2. CREATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT BOARD

The Northeast Regional Bank Act is amended;

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the ‘Quick-Action Closing Fund Act.’

SECTION 2. CREATION OF QUICK-ACTION CLOSING FUND

$20 billion will be accumulated from the Economic development fund expended by November-March Northeast Budget FY2013 to the Northeast Department of Commerce for the creation of this program:

(1.)   The Northeast Department of Commerce will establish a non-partisan ten-member board to be assigned with the task of formulating long-term economic-development strategies as well as researching and contacting businesses looking to locate or relocate their facilities in the Northeast Region.

(2.)   The board will have the ability to negotiate for workforce training, capital investments, and other projects to help collaborate with businesses and manufacturers interested in locating or relocating their facilities in the Northeast Region.

(3.)   Grants and incentives that are provided by the fund may be used for onsite (equipment and facilities) and offsite (infrastructure) expenses if approved by the Bank of the Northeast.

Section 9 is just for my amusement, and I doubt it will last debate :D

Bump so I don't have to keep going to look for this.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as 'The Red Meat Act.'

SECTION 2. FINDINGS

The Assembly finds and declares that;

1.) Carbon monoxide (often referred to as CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, one measly oxygen molecule away from the carbon dioxide all humans exhale.  However, this chemical can have detrimental effects on the human body at very low concentrations.

2.) The Canadian Meat Packers Council recommends that the internal meat temperatures not go above 4 degrees Celsius or 39 degrees Fahrenheit. That has also been defined by other international meat regulators as the optimum storage temperature of meat.

3.) In a carbon monoxide system, with low oxygen, the carbon monoxide will react with myoglobin and give aged meat a bright red color. The low oxygen mixture artificially limits the growth of spoilage organisms that are commonly caused by increased levels of heat in display cases.

4.) More than 70% of all beef and chicken in the United States, Canada and other countries is being treated with poisonous carbon monoxide gas to look fresh.

Source of this information: http://www.theidealistrevolution.com/decayed-meat-treated-with-carbon-monoxide-to-make-it-look-fresh-at-the-grocery/

SECTION 3. MEAT PACKAGING REQUIREMENT

1.) All meat treated with carbon monoxide must have a label that reads "TREATED WITH CARBON MONOXIDE" on their packages at a font size no smaller than 20 pt.

2.) Markets that sell meat which are encased in packages that do not contain such labels may be fined $35,000,000 per offense.

SECTION 4. EFFECTIVENESS

This law will go into effect on March 1st, 2013.

Bump, and also we're out of bills to introduce.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the 'Agriculture Reinvestment Act of 2013.'

SECTION 2. DEFINITION

The word "farm" in this act shall be defined as any land used to produce crops, livestock, specialty livestock, or grazing and includes woodland and wasteland not under cultivation or used for pasture or grazing.  

SECTION 3. FARM INVESTMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM

1. The Northeast Department of Agriculture and the Interior shall be authorized to provide money to each state within the region for the purpose of capital investment to farms.

2. Grants will be awarded by state agencies on the basis of the quality of farmers' business plans that is a part of their applications.

3. Farmer applicants must match or exceed the amount of the grant being requested.  These funds must be used for projects that are defined as capital fixed assets and have a life expectancy of 10 years or more.

4. Funds may be used for the expansion of existing agricultural facilities, or diversification-expansion into new production areas and site improvements related to such expansion or diversification.

SECTION 4. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

1. Agricultural producers, singularly or jointly, whether such producers are owners or tenants of existing agricultural production facilities located within the region of the Northeast;

2. Applicant must provide an individual business plan. In the case of a joint venture, two business plans must be filed, one for the individual applicant and the other for the joint venture, demonstrating how the agricultural production facility will remain ongoing for at least ten years and show what impact the improvements will have on his or her business via projected increased sales, additional jobs, local taxes, etc.

3. Applicant must provide conceptual construction drawings with project budget;

4. Applicant must possess a current farmers' tax exempt permit;

5. Applicant must be responsible for securing and complying with all necessary zoning, inland wetland, building and other permits, as well as environmental regulations, as required prior to receiving grant;

6. Upon completion of project, applicant must provide an audit from a Certified Public Accountant, a lending institution or an agricultural advisory institution that includes an itemized statement of expenses of the project.

7. Applicants must agree to a site inspection conducted by an agent from their respective states prior to final approval or rejection of their application. If application approved and project monies awarded, applicant must agree to site inspections during the construction phase of the project.

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(Sections 2 & 3 partially taken from http://www.ct.gov/doag/cwp/view.asp?a=3260&q=398988)

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SECTION 5. FUNDING

Funds for this grant program will be allocated from the Environment & energy account of the Northeast Budget FY13' Nov-March.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the ‘Capital Relocation Amendment of 2013.’

SECTION 2. CAPITAL RELOCATION

Article I of the Northeast Constitution is amended to read:

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the 'Termination of Parental Rights for Rape Convicts Act.'

SECTION 2. FINDINGS

It is found and determined by the Assembly of the Northeast Region that pregnancy from rape against women occurs; that women who get pregnant as a result of rape and decide to carry their pregnancy to term should not have a lifetime tethered to their rapists due to custody issues; and that this act is immediately necessary to eliminate the possibility that a rapist convicted in a court of law can have custody rights to any child conceived and born from such a rape.

SECTION 3. TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS FOR PUTATIVE FATHERS CONVICTED OF RAPE

All parental rights of a putative father to a child conceived as a result of a rape shall be terminated immediately upon conviction of the rape in which the child was conceived.

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Bill taken from http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2013/2013R/Bills/HB1002.pdf

Reintroducing:

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SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the ‘Capital Relocation Amendment of 2013.’

SECTION 2. CAPITAL RELOCATION

Article I of the Northeast Constitution is amended to read:

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the 'Sandy Hook Elementary School Memorial Resolution.'

SECTION 2. RESOLUTION



Perpetrator's mother

    Nancy Lanza

School personnel

    Rachel D'Avino, teacher's aide
    Dawn Hochsprung, principal
    Anne Marie Murphy, teacher's aide
    Lauren Rousseau, teacher
    Mary Sherlach, school psychologist
    Victoria Leigh Soto, teacher

First grade students

    Charlotte Bacon
    Daniel Barden
    Olivia Engel
    Josephine Gay
    Dylan Hockley
    Madeleine Hsu
    Catherine Hubbard
    Chase Kowalski
    Jesse Lewis
    Ana Marquez-Greene
    James Mattel
    Grace Mcdonnell
    Emilie Parker
    Jack Pinto
    Noah Pozner
    Caroline Previdi
    Jessica Rekos
    Avielle Richman
    Benjamin Wheeler
    Allison Wyatt

1. Proposed Legislation Thread
A. Representatives, the Governor and any concerned Northeast citizen shall post the full text of any proposed legislation in a response to the Northeast Assembly Legislation Introduction Thread. Each response shall contain only one piece of proposed legislation.
B. Nothing shall be posted to the Northeast Assembly proposed legislation thread except proposed legislation or a Northeast citizen's signature for proposed citizen legislation.
2. Movement of Legislation to the Northeast Assembly Floor
A. Three bills shall be allowed on the floor concurrently, to be referred to as Legislative Slots. Legislative Slots 1 and 2: Except as provided for in 2(c) The Speaker shall place the earliest introduced legislation in this slot. Legislative Slot 3: Shall be reserved for the Northeast's tri annual budgets.
B. Each piece of legislation on the floor shall receive its own thread. Threads shall be titled as follows: NE1: Name of bill, where 1 is substituted to designate the Legislative Slot the bill occupies and the Name of bill shall be the Title of the Bill given by its sponsor in the Northeast Assembly Proposed Legislation Thread. Each thread shall remain open until the Bill either (a) becomes law via the Governor’s signature, lack of Gubernatorial action, or veto override or (b) fails to receive majority support from Representatives.
C. Any Representative may make a motion in Northeast Assembly thread to suspend section 2(a) of this Standing Order to move a piece proposed legislation to the top of the queue. The motion shall be immediately put to a vote on the Northeast Assembly floor. Such vote shall be open for 24 hours. If the motion passes by a vote of the majority of all Representatives (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes), the Speaker shall place such piece of proposed legislation on the Northeast Assembly floor immediately after a legislative slot is available.
3. Legislative Debates and Voting
A. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3(G), all proposed legislation shall be open for debate for no less than seventy-two (72) hours after the Speaker places it in a Legislative Slot.
B. During debate, Representatives may suggest amendments to proposed legislation. If the sponsor of the proposed legislation publicly deems the amendment friendly, no vote on the amendment shall be required. If the sponsor of the proposed legislation does not publicly deem the amendment friendly, a vote on the amendment shall be taken twenty-four (24) hours after being proposed unless there is less than twenty-four (24) hours of debate remaining on the bill. If there is less than twenty-four (24) hours of debate remaining on the bill, a vote on the amendment shall be taken before proceeding to a final vote on the bill. Such vote shall be open for twenty-four (24) hours, or until all Representatives have voted, if earlier. An amendment shall pass if a majority of Representatives vote in favor of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes).
C. The sponsor of a proposed amendment may remove it from the Assembly floor by tabling it at any time before a vote on the amendment is started.
D. The sponsor of a piece of proposed legislation may remove it from the Assembly floor by tabling it at any time before a final vote is taken on the proposed legislation.
E. A final vote on the proposed legislation shall take place after the Speaker certifies the vote on any proposed amendments (or, if there are no such amendments, at the end of the debate period). Except as otherwise provided in subsection g, such votes shall be open for twenty-four (24) 48 hours , or until all Representatives have voted, if earlier. A piece of proposed legislation shall pass if a majority of Representatives vote in favor of it (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes).
F. The Speaker shall certify the results of any vote within twenty-four (24) hours of the end of the voting period.
G. The Speaker shall have the authority to extend or shorten the debate period upon the written request of any Representative.Except as provided by Section 3, subsection J 3(j) and Section 3, subsection K 3(k), total debate time can never exceed 168 hours, and never be less than 36 hours.
H: The Northeast Speaker may table legislation being debated in the Assembly if the sponsor of the legislation fails to speak on behalf of his or her bill within 24 36 hours of its being introduced to the Assembly for debate.
I: If no other legislation is available to be introduced for debate, this power is invalidated.
J. For tri annual budget debates, which shall take place in legislative slot 3, debate time shall be unlimited, and debate shall be deemed over when a motion for cloture has been passed by a majority of all voting representatives.
K Any Representative may make a motion in Northeast Assembly thread to suspend section 3(j) and 3(g) of this Standing Order to extend debate. The motion shall then be immediately put to a vote on the Northeast Assembly floor. This vote shall be open for 24 hours. If the motion passes by a vote of the majority of all Representatives (with abstentions and absences not counted as votes) then debate time shall be extended for another 72 hours, with further motions required after this to continue debate.
4. Confirmation hearings
A. The Assembly shall hold confirmation hearings for gubernatorial appointments to the positions in the executive departments, Chief Judicial Officer, or as the Northeast's regional senator (in the case of a vacancy in that office)
B. Upon the announcement of a nomination by the governor, the Speaker shall open an independent hearing thread for the nominee.  The thread shall be open for no less than seventy-two (72) hours.  Per the request of a representative, debate time may be shortened or extended, but not any shorter than 36 hours or longer than 168, respectively.
C.  During this time, Representatives may question the nominee as they see fit in relation to the position for which they have been nominated.  If a nominee feels he is being unfairly questioned or harassed within the thread with regard to matters that do not concern his appointment, he may appeal to the Speaker.
D. Upon the expiration of debate time, the Assembly shall vote to confirm the nominee; a simple majority shall be required for approval. Voting shall be open for 48 hours.  In the event of a tie, the vote shall be deemed to have failed.

5. Terminology
A. All legislation regarding the rules of the Northeast Assembly shall be called Standing Orders.
B. All proposed legislation that requires the signature of the Governor shall be called a Bill until signed and thereafter an Act

Expenditures

$50 billion - School aid
$38 billion - Economic development
$35 billion - Transportation
$25 billion - Public safety
$25 billion - Higher education
$22 billion - Health services
$15 billion - Tax expenditures
$7 billion - Environment & energy
$3 billion - Direct aid & incentives to municipalities
$2 billion - Government administration

TOTAL EXPENDITURES - $222 billion


PROJECTED SURPLUS - $60.5 billion
- $15 billion shall be reserved for the redevelopment and refurbishment of Buffalo, New York.
- New city infrastructure shall be designed in accordance with the ideals of New Urbanism as explicated in the New Urbanist Manifesto.

Disaster Relief Fund

20% of all budget surpluses shall automatically be allocated to a Disaster Relief Fund which may be spent during emergencies at the discretion of the Governor via executive order.

PROPOSED TAXES

Income tax
0.0%    $0 - $24,999
1.0%    $25,000 - $49,9999
2.0%    $50,000 - $99,999
4.0%    $100,000 - $249,999
6.5%  $250,000 - $999,999
9.0%   $1,000,000 +

Rates remain the same for married couples filing jointly, but brackets are doubled.

Sales tax
4.5% [excludes groceries, clothing, and footwear]

Property tax
$35 per mil on assessed value of unimproved land

Excise Taxes
Gas: 68 cents per gallon
Diesel: 85 cents per gallon
New automobile purchase tax (by curb weight): $500 per thousand kilograms
Tanning: 33 and 1/3 cents per minute [tax already exists per Northeast Healthy Skin Act]

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the 'Northeast Minimum Wage Act of 2013.'

SECTION 2. FINDINGS

It is found and determined by the Assembly of the Northeast Region that;

1. In today's society, many items necessary for basic living are becoming more expensive, and thus affordable to those working on minimum wage

2. To keep up with inflation, it is necessary to raise the regional minimum wage for $18 per hour for companies making more than $2 million per year

SECTION 3. MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE AND INDEX TO INFLATION

1. Provisions 2 and 3 of The Northeast Minimum Wage Act of 2012 are hereby repealed.

2. Effective July 10th, the regional minimum wage shall be raised to $18 per hour.

3. The regional minimum wage shall be adjusted yearly to by a percentage equal to monetary inflation during the prior year.

4. Any company making $2 million or more per year shall be fined $10,000 per worker for violating the regulations of this legislation.

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[Text of bill from http://northeast.jsa.org/Legislative%20Index%202013.pdf]

EDIT: WITHDRAWN

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the 'Northeast End of Race Recognition'

SECTION 2. CHANGES IN FORMS

Be it that race has no affect on a person, the Northeast will no longer recognize race in its

forms.

1. A committee will be created with the direction to find official forms and change them such that any option requiring ones race will be removed.

2. All questions for a particular race will also be removed.

SECTION 3. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

1. As the Northeast no longer recognizes race, regional Affirmative Action is impossible

2. Instead, regional colleges must have a certain amount of each economic bracket,

 Percent minimum acceptance rate.                         Average Family earnings per year 

                                                   
7.0%                                                                       $0 - $49,9999
5.0%                                                                       $50,000 - $99,999
3.0%                                                                       $100,000 - $249,999
1%                                                                          $250,000 - $999,999
0%                                                                          $1,000,000 +

3. A Fund of 1 Billion will be set aside to help colleges provide funding for low income families.

4. This will take affect for the 2013-2014 school year.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the 'Cuban Relations Approval Act'


SECTION 2. NATIONAL APPROVAL

Be it that with Senate approval a region may enter into agreements and compacts with a foreign entity.

1. A bill shall be presented to the Senate to seek approval to form trade and travel agreements between the Northeast Region and Cuba.

2. Should this act be passed and a bill approved by the Senate, a 'Cuban Relations Act' shall be proposed within one month to the Northeast Assembly.


SECTION 3. CUBAN-ATLASIAN RIGHTS

Be it that the Northeast is home to more Cuban-Atlasians than anywhere outside Florida and their rights are limited by an embargo.

1. Physical and telecommunicative contact shall be reestablished and enhanced through opened lanes of travel between Cuba and the Northeast.

2. Trade agreements may be formed in the future with regards to agriculture, healthcare, vital necessities, automobile parts and equipment, financial aid, educational material, and manufactured goods should the Northeast see fit.

3. Asylum shall be granted to Cuban refugees via air travel upon the approval of the Northeast.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the 'Responsible Sports Act'


SECTION 2. PROFESSIONAL SPORTS STADIUMS

Be it that the economic benefit of owning and operating a major sports venue is proven to be unsubstantial in relation to the cost.

1. The subsidization of improvements to or construction of major sports arenas including but not limited to the facilities located in Foxborough, East Rutherford, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Orchard Park shall thus be banned.

2. Member teams of the four largest leagues, the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL, shall henceforth be required to include clauses in their leases to remain in their current locations throughout the course of their contracts. No early terminations will be lawful.

3. If an organization wishes to build and maintain a facility of their own, there right shall remain to do so.

4. Currently held properties of the Northeast shall be sold to the organization as soon as legally possible.

SECTION 3. CONVENTION FACILITIES

1. Convention facilities will be permitted to remain under the ownership of the Northeast and future projects shall remain lawful.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the ‘Northeast Education Improvement and Modernization Act of 2013.’

SECTION 2. FINDINGS

The Northeast Assembly hereby finds and declares that;

1.   The current state of the Northeast education system is poor, and grades are on a long-term decline.

2.   Children of minority and low-income households are being inadequately schooled.

3.   The traditional teachings of mathematics and science courses have been reduced to mere memorization games that do not adequately prepare students for life.

4.   Students have been taught to manufacture formulized paragraphs on writing essays but are not being adequately trained as writers and readers.

5.   These findings demonstrate an urgent call for reform in the structure of education in the Northeast Region.

SECTION 3. PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATION

1.   All schools up to university level, public and private will be exclusively funded and administered by municipalities of the Northeast Region.

2.   The founding of a new private comprehensive school will require approval from the Northeast Department of Education.

3.   When founded, private schools will be given a state grant comparable to that given to a municipal school of the same size.

4.   The use of tuition fees by private schools will be strictly prohibited.

5.   Private schools will be required to admit all their pupils on the same basis as the corresponding municipal school.

6.   Private schools will be required to give their students all the social entitlements that are offered to the students of municipal schools.

SECTION 4. TEACHERS

1.   The right of teachers to unionize shall be guaranteed.

2.   All teachers shall be accorded a great deal of autonomy in their respected professions and will be allowed to choose their own textbooks.

3.   All teachers, public and private, shall be required to hold a Master’s degree in their field in order to enter the education profession.

3a.  Existing teachers who have a degree below Master’s may retain their jobs, but will be required to attend a nightly college until the standard is met.  Tuition will be covered by the Region.

4.   There shall be no specific curriculum assigned to any teacher.

5.   All school principals will be required to, through any means necessary, assess their teachers for competence and expertise in their field of study and send their reports to the Department of Education.  The Department of Education will be authorized to set its own guidelines on how each individual teacher will be paid and terminate the jobs of those deemed incompetent.

SECTION 5. AMENDMENT TO THE EDUCATION ACT

Section 3 of the Education Act is hereby amended;

SECTION 6. SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

1.   All schools below college shall be required to be open to students for at least 190 days per year for at least eight hours a day, for no more than nine years.  Two hours each day must be reserved to study hall periods and recess, which shall be required in all schools.

2.   All students will be entitled to health care (including mental health) and daily lunch.  If a student is of an income level below $25,000, their lunches shall be at no cost.

SECTION 7. NORTHEAST MATRICULATION EXAM

The annual standardized test, which shall be the only government-prescribed test in the Northeast Region, shall be named the Northeast Matriculation Exam (or the NME), and will be assigned to all high school students in the middle of their senior years.  Questions in this test (which must pertain to: math, science, English, and social studies) will be determined by the Department of Education.

SECTION 8. FUNDING

All necessary funding for this bill shall come from the School aid fund of each budget.  An additional $20.5 billion from the surplus of the March-July Northeast Budget FY2013 will be used for implementation of these policies.

SECTION 9. IMPLEMENTATION

This law shall go into effect at the start of the 2014 school year.

The Northeast Regional Lottery Act

A bill to establish a Northeast Regional Lottery Commission and lottery.

Be it enacted by the Assembly of the Northeast region convened…

SECTION 1: TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the “Northeast Regional Lottery Act of 2013”

SECTION 2: FINDINGS

It is has been determined by the Assembly of the Northeast Region that;
1.   Revenues from a lottery system would benefit the educational system in the Northeast

SECTION 3: REGIONAL LOTTERY COMMISSION

1.   A Lottery Commission, henceforth references as “the Commission”, shall be established by the Northeast Treasury Department whose responsibility shall include creating, administering and maintaining the lottery in the Northeast as well as collecting and distributing revenues to appropriate parties.
2.   Revenues of the state lottery shall be allocated so as to maximize the amount of funding allocated to public education
3.   The Commission will be self-financed through revenues collected through the selling of lottery tickets.
4.   Employees of the Commission may not participate in the lottery nor may they collect prize money.
5.   People who are at least eighteen years of age may participate in the lottery.

SECTION 4: REVENUES

1.   A maximum 10% of revenues collected by the Commission may be used for administrative business including staff salaries.
2.   A maximum of 20% of revenues collected by the Commission may be used for lottery winnings and prizes.
3.   A minimum of 70% of all revenues will transferred to the Treasury to be used to finance education programs in the Northeast.
4.   All unclaimed prize money shall revert to the benefit of public education
5.   All of the interest earned upon funds held in the State Lottery Fund shall be allocated to the benefit of public education,

SECTION 5: DEFINITIONS

1.   Parties – Defined as the winner of the lottery as determined by the Commission or the Treasury.

The Northeast Banking Responsibility Act

A bill to let banks that make poor decisions fail, and prosecute banks that break regional law.

Be it enacted by the Assembly of the Northeast region convened.

SECTION 1 TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the "Northeast Banking Responsibility Act"

SECTION 2 FINDINGS

The Northeast Assembly finds and declares that;

1. Letting banks that go bankrupt or otherwise would fail fail leads to economic recovery

2. There is criminal activity in banks that is not being addressed as a region

Section 3 Banks failure

1.  The Northeast government will under no condition subsidize or by any other means give money to banks to keep them from failing capital and liquidity requirements or for any other reason give money to banks with under 8% interest rate for non local banks, or 6% for banks that only are in this region.

2. If the government is going to loan money to a bank, a risk potential evaluation will be set up such that the bank is deemed acceptable.

3. Section 1 of the Northeast Regional Bank Act if hereby changed to

Section 1.) The Bank of the Northeast (BNE), as it shall be named, is established to do the following:

    To assist local banks with capital and liquidity requirements
    To provide loans & loan guarantees
    To provide assistance to borrowers in areas of job retention
    To provide assistance to borrowers in technology creation
    To provide assistance to small businesses and businesses of retail
    To participate in community service projects

Section 4. Legal Issues

1. The Northeast Assembly will set up a committee to look at possible illegal activities in banks and will do random audits to banks within the regions

2. All inconsistencies will be reported to the region for a potential lawsuit.

3. All inconsistencies will be made available to the public in quarterly reports.

A bill that shall be the official economic policy of the Northeast Region of the Republic of Atlasia for the fiscal year 2013.

Be it enacted by the Assembly of the Northeast Region convened.

Section 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited, as the Northeast Regional Economic Policy and Improvement Act of 2013.

Section 2. FINDINGS

The Northeast Department of Commerce and the Northeast Assembly jointly find and declare that;

1. The Northeast region requires an official economic policy for the fiscal year 2013.

2. Small businesses and large corporations are equally important for our regional economic growth and development; and shall be treated as such.

3. A number of the Northeast region's small businesses and corporations are in need of economic aid.

4. A number of the Northeast region's municipalities are in need of economic aid.

5. These findings call for a new economic policy in the Northeast Region; and a new policy in the process of economic aid to businesses and municipalities.

Section 3. SMALL BUSINESSES

1. As stated above, all small businesses shall be treated equally with large corporations.

2. A small business in need of economic aid shall be able to apply for aid through either a grant or loan from the Northeast Region.

3. A small business may only apply for aid that is necessary for growth, survival, or in the case of a new business, what is necessary for construction costs.

4. The Department of Commerce may approve or deny the applicant's request for funds.

5. A small business shall be defined as a business with less than one hundred (100) employees.

Section 4. CORPORATIONS

1. A Corporation in need of economic aid shall be able to apply for a loan or grant from the Northeast region.

2. A corporation may only apply for aid that is necessary for growth, survival, or in the case of a new location, what is necessary to begin construction.

3. The Department of Commerce may approve or deny the applicant's request for funds.

4. For funding purposes a corporation shall be defined as a business that is incorporated, and has more than one hundred (100) employees.

Section 5. MUNICIPALITIES

1. A municipality in need of economic aid shall be able to apply for a loan or grant, from the Northeast Region.

2. A municipality may apply for aid necessary for: public projects, development, and other ventures deemed necessary for economic growth.

3. The Department of Commerce may approve or deny a municipality's request for funds.

Section 6. REQUIREMENTS FOR ECONOMIC AID ELIGIBILITY

1. All small businesses and corporations that seek loans or grants from the Northeast Region shall be subject to certain regulations.

2. An applicant for economic aid must answer the following; what the businesses's profit-loss margin was over the past twelve months; what the purpose of the funding is; and how many employees the business currently has.

3. Applicant must also provide a business plan showing how the funds provided to them shall be used.

4. A Northeast Region Municipality seeking economic aid for a public project or development, may be subject to a site survey by an agent from the state in which the city resides.

5. Applicant must comply with all existing environmental, zoning, and building code regulations, prior to receiving financial aid.

6. Applicants who request aid for construction purposes, with the final cost totaling over $20,000 must agree to a site survey conducted by an agent from their state, prior to a final decision on approval or denial of their request for aid.

Section 7. GROUNDS FOR DENIAL OF ECONOMIC AID

1. An applicant may be denied of economic aid for the following reasons.

2. If an appicant is found to be providing false information on the application, the applicant may be denied of financial aid.

3. Projects deemed unnecessary, for economic growth may be denied financial aid.

4. Projects unrelated, to economic growth or development, shall be denied.

Section 8. FUNDING

$2.5 Billion will be allocated from the Economic Development Account of the March-July Northeast budget FY13' to fund the grant and loan portion of the economic aid program.

X Cincy

X Napoleon

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Northeast Budget Procedure Improvement Act.

SECTION 2. AMENDMENT TO THE NORTHEAST BUDGET PROCEDURE ACT

Section 2 of the Northeast Budget Procedure Act is hereby amended:

Improving The Chain Of Command Amendment

The Constitution of the Northeast Region shall be amended as follow:

Section

1. Had the Governor been absent for more than three days without a prior notice, the Lieutenant Governor  shall automatically assume powers and duties of the office
2. Had the Governor not posted on Atlasia boards for more than three days without being absent, the Lieutenant Governor shall be required to held an emergency vote in the Assembly to determine, whether the Governor shall be temporaily suspended
3. The Governor shall be able to resume his powers and duties by written a declaration
4. Had the Governor continued to be absent for more than two weeks without a prior notice or inactive for the same period of time, her or his mandat shall be terminated and the Lieutenant Governor assume the office for reminder of the term
5. Had the office of Lieutenant Governor been vacated at the time of the Governor's absence or inactivity, the Speaker of the Assembly shall be given powers described in sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 with exception that she or he shall become Governor until special election is held within two weeks

Section 2

1. Had the Lieutenant Governor been absent for more than three days without a prior notice, the Speaker shall automatically assume powers and duties of the office
2. Had the Lieutenant Governor not posted on Atlasia for more than three days without being absent, the Speaker shall automatically assume powers and duties of the office until Lieutenant Governor resuming his powers by written declaration, being recalled or resignation

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Helping Educators Support All Students Act.

SECTION 2. FINDINGS

The Northeast Assembly finds and declares that;

1) Approximately 1 in 5 children have a diagnosable mental illness.

2) Fifty percent of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, and 75 percent by age 24.

3) Fifty percent of students with a mental illness, age 14 years and older, drop out of high school.

4) For youth between the ages of 10 and 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death, and an estimated 90 percent have a diagnosable mental health condition.

5) One in 10 children and adolescents suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment, but only 1 in 5 of such children receive specialty mental health services.

SECTION 2. MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION GRANTS

The Northeast Education Improvement and Modernization Act of 2013 is hereby amended;

cont.


[Bill text courtesy of http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s648/text]

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Northeast Commonwealth Act.

SECTION 2. DESIGNATION OF THE NORTHEAST REGION TO COMMONWEALTH STATUS

The Northeast Region shall, from enactment of this legislation, be known as the Commonwealth of the Northeast.

SECTION 3. CONSTITUTIONAL REFLECTION OF NAME CHANGE

All references in the Northeast Constitution, upon enactment of this law, shall be changed to reflect Commonwealth status.

SECTION 4. ENACTMENT

This legislation shall go into effect upon 2/3 approval of Northeast voters.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Constitution Ratification Amendment.

SECTION 2. PUBLIC VOTES ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

The Constitution of the Northeast Region is amended;

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Stem Cell Research Expansion Act of 2013.

SECTION 2. FUNDING AND LIBERALIZATION OF STEM CELL RESEARCH

1. The Department of Health and Human Services shall conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells in accordance with this law (regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo).

2. The Northeast government will pledge $4 billion for the research of human embryonic stem cells.  The Department of Health and Human Services will be responsible for allocating these funds.

3. Beneficiaries shall annually prepare and submit to the Department a report describing the activities carried out under this law during the preceding year.  The Department will be responsible for compiling these reports, and including a description of to what extent the research has been conducted in accordance with this law, to the Northeast Assembly.

4. Funding for this legislation will derive from the Health research and training expenditures established by the March-July Northeast Budget FY2013.

5. Any and all existing regulations on stem cell research established by the Northeast Region are hereby repealed.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Online Public Notice Act.

SECTION 2. ONLINE POSTING OF PUBLIC NOTICES

1. Under this bill, beginning April 1, 2014, in all cases where a public notice or legal notice is required to be published in a newspaper of general circulation, the complete notice must be posted:

1) On the newspaper's website, where it must be published contemporaneously with the notice's first print publication and will remain on the website for at least as long as the notice appears in the newspaper; and

2) On a statewide website established and maintained as an initiative and service of the Northeast government as a repository for such notices and will remain on the repository website for at least as long as it appears in the newspaper. Any newspaper of general circulation that meets the criteria of this provision must have access to the statewide website.

2. Any such notice must be published online in its entirety, including maps and other exhibits, and must include the date on which it was first printed in the newspaper. An error in a notice placed on the newspaper website or statewide website, or temporary website outages or service interruptions prohibiting the posting or display of such notice, will be considered harmless error and proper legal notice requirements will be considered met if the notice published in the newspaper is correct.

3. Each newspaper of general circulation publishing public notices must include on its website home page a link to its public notice section and include on its public notice home page a link to the statewide public notice website.

---

Bill inspired by SB #461 (http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/108/Amend/HA0108.pdf)

Honoring Some Folks Act

All parks and schools referencing "American" political figures shall be renamed using analogous Atlasian political figures.

The Governor is empowered to create a task force to determine the analogous political figures for these purposes.

X Napoleon

(Inspired in part by one of Kal's old proposals, and name shamelessly stolen)

X Governor Scott

X Snowball

Amendment to Restore Sanity

The Constitution of the Northeastern Region shall be amended as follow:

1. The Lieutenant Governor of the Northeastern Region shall be elected by popular vote every four months.
2. Had the office fall vacant with more than a month before the end of the term, a special election shall be held.
3. A special election shall be held no earlier than a week and no later than two weeks after the vacancy was created.
4. Had the office fall vacant with more than a month before the end of the term, the Governor shall nominate the new Lieutenant Governor with advise and consent of the Assembly, which process shall not take longer than one week.
5. The Lieutenant Governor shall not serve at any other position within the Northeast Government.

Amendment to Northeast constitution Article 2 Section 10



Also

X bore


X bore

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as A bill to appropriate funds for the repair and improvement of bridges or the Bridge Repair Bill.

SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS FOR URGENT BRIDGE REPAIRS

The Assembly of the Northeast Region acting under the authority vested in it by Section 4 of the BUILD ACT (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=166412.msg3559587#msg3559587) does hereby direct the sum of $1.134 to be obligated from the Highways and highway safety fund of the March-July Northeast Budget FY2013 (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=169878.msg3648801#msg3648801), and apportioned for the following projects;

$0.217 billion to the Longfellow Bridge in Boston, Massachusetts

$0.823 billion to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, New York

$0.094 billion to the Mianus Bridge in Greenwich, Connecticut

The Department of Urban Development will be responsible for the oversight, contracting, and communication of involved parties throughout the course of each project.

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Northeast Discrimination in the Workplace Ban Statute of 2013 or the NDWB.

SECTION 2. PROHIBITION OF WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION

1. Employment of persons shall not be denied or abridged on account of race, national origin, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

1a. "Transgender" shall be included as a similarly illegal basis under the definition of gender, of discrimination or denial of legal rights.

2. Any employer found guilty of violation of section two shall be fined no more than $5,000 per employee (or prospective employee) unlawfully denied employment, in addition to whatever damages a Court may award the employee (or prospective employee).

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(Legislation originally designed by the Mideast Gay Discrimination in the Workplace Ban Statute (https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Mideast_Gay_Discrimination_in_the_Workplace_Ban_Statute))

The Restoration of Pacific Order Act

1. So as to guarantee order and stability on the western border of the Region of the Northeast, the Northeast National Guard shall enter Pacific territory to guarantee stable and efficient government until such time as the Pacific is able to govern itself.

2. Until the Pacific is able to govern itself, all Pacific territory shall be considered temporarily annexed by the Region of the Northeast. During this time Pacific residents afforded every right that would be given to any Northeast citizen.

3. Federal elections in the former Pacific region will be administered by a caretaker governor, appointed by the Governor.

4. Declares that the Imperial Dominion of the South's claims on the Pacific are illegitimate and henceforth invalid in all areas governed by the Northeast.

Mr. Speaker, I present to you the July - November 2013 budget.

Now that we have a Speaker (congratulations bore!)

Based on: http://www.scribd.com/doc/139315094/Undetectable-Firearms-Act-of-1988