Northeast Assembly Legislation Introduction Thread

[Free Palestine]

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?

Yes

[Cincinnatus]

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

Vacancy filling Act

In accordance to Article II, section 8 of the Fourth Northeast Constitution, vacancies in the Legislative Assembly shall be filled in the following manner :

    In the case of a vacancy in the Northeast Legislative Assembly for any reason, a special election shall be held to elect a new Representative.
    The special election must take place no less than 5 days following the vacancy and the booth shall open at 12:00 AM EST on the nearest Friday, provided that Friday is at least 5 days since the vacancy occurred and shall close on that Sunday at 11:59 PM EST, to be administered by the appropriate official.
    The appropriate official shall place the names of all candidates who declare their intention to run in the special election on the Candidate Declaration Thread before 12:00 midnight Eastern time on the Thursday before the poll opens.
    Any candidate who receives write-in votes must confirm that he or she is willing to assume the vacancy by publicly declaring a willingness to receive write-in votes before the polls close in the Candidate Declaration Thread or writing in his or her own name on the ballot to fill the vacancy. Otherwise, those write-in votes shall be deemed void.

[Governor Scott]

Amendments to the NE Constitution - The Veto Override and Amending Procedure Law

1. Article 2, provision 14 of the Northeast Constitution is hereby rewritten:

The Legislative Assembly shall have the power to override the Governor’s veto. If the Assembly passes legislation previously vetoed by the Governor in a unanimous vote, it becomes law without the Governor’s signature.

2. Article 7, provision 1 of the Northeast Constitution is hereby rewritten:

Amendments to this Constitution shall be proposed by the Legislative Assembly of the Northeast Region. A proposed Amendment shall be forwarded to be voted upon by the citizens of the Northeast upon a unanimous vote from voting members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northeast Region and an affirmative vote of a majority of all members of the Legislative Assembly

3. These amendments shall come into effect at the start of the next legislative session.

WITHDRAWN

[Big Wiggly Style]

Amendment to the NE Constitution - The Veto Override Law

1. Article 2, provision 14 of the Northeast Constitution is hereby rewritten:

14. The Legislative Assembly shall have the power to override the Governor’s veto. If the Assembly passes legislation previously vetoed by the Governor in a unanimous vote, it becomes law without the Governor’s signature.

2. This amendment shall come into effect at the start of the next legislative session.

I support this.

[Big Wiggly Style]

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.

[Governor Scott]

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.

[Big Wiggly Style]

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.

[crypto-fascist superhero]

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.

[Governor Scott]

The Mountaintop Removal Ban Act

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.

[Governor Scott]

The Northeastern Anti-Bully Initiative Act of 2011

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.

[Governor Scott]

I will officially be withdrawing my constitutional amendment proposal.

[crypto-fascist superhero]

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.

[Cincinnatus]

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

[Big Wiggly Style]

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.

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

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

[crypto-fascist superhero]

The Incredibly Important Act

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

[Governor Scott]

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?

[Senator Snowstalker]

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.

[Cincinnatus]

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

[Cincinnatus]

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?

If only we could..

[Governor Scott]

Got the idea from Dallasfan-

Amendment to the SOAP Act - Protest and Analysis Thread Act

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

A Northeast Assembly Protest and Analysis Thread shall be created and made open to Northeast citizens for the discussion of legislative proposals, debates, votes, and all other matters that relate to the Northeast government.

[Governor Scott]

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

[Cincinnatus]

Repeal of the Ballot Standardization Act

1.  The Ballot Standardization Act is hereby repealed.

Introduced upon the recommendation of a constituent.

[Cincinnatus]

Northeast Symbols Act

1.  The official motto of the Northeast Region shall hereby be recognized as, "   Fax mentis est incedium gloriae"

2.  The official flower of the Northeast Region shall hereby be recognized as the Mountain laurel

3.  The official bird of the Northeast Region shall hereby be recognized as the black capped chickadee.

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

[Free Palestine]

Got the idea from Dallasfan-

Amendment to the SOAP Act - Protest and Analysis Thread Act

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

A Northeast Assembly Protest and Analysis Thread shall be created and made open to Northeast citizens for the discussion of legislative proposals, debates, votes, and all other matters that relate to the Northeast government.

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

[Free Palestine]

The Act to Provide Transportation of a Public Manner to Working Individuals and Families Act (APTOPMWIFA)

1.  Bus fare in the major metropolitan areas of the Northeast shall be subsidized 50%.

2.  Added costs to public transportation authorities shall be made up for, with a 2% income tax increase on the highest income bracket, and an added 2% tax on alcohol and tobacco products.