Northeast Assembly Legislation Introduction Thread

[Jerseyrules]

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

[Jerseyrules]

bump?

[Jerseyrules]

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

[Jerseyrules]

The Anti-Prohibition & Blue Law Repeal Act

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or sale of beer, wine, and spirits at neighborhood grocery and package stores on any day of the week are hereby repealed.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 All existing laws which prohibit gambling on any day of the week are hereby repealed.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

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?

[Jerseyrules]

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

[Jerseyrules]

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

[Jerseyrules]

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.

[Jerseyrules]

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.

[Jerseyrules]

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.

[Jerseyrules]

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

[Jerseyrules]

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)

[Jerseyrules]

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.

[Jerseyrules]

As an alternative to the governor's proposal,

The Quick Commute Act

- 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.

[Jerseyrules]

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.

[Jerseyrules]

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.

[Jerseyrules]

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