Former Office of the Midwest Governor (Closed as of January 7th, 2015)

[GAworth]

As stated in my thread:

Endorsed for Governor

[LeBron]

As stated in my thread:

Endorsed for Governor

Also, while I'm here, I just opened the voting booth for the Candidacy Withdrawal Amendment that recently passed the Senate. It basically gives regional executives a much-needed heads up on who withdraws and who doesn't and it benefits declared candidates in the long run to who no longer wish to be on the ballot. The voting is open for a week, so go vote between now and August 22nd!

[Senator Cris]

*Applauds*

[TNF]

Endorsed in your bid for the Governorship.

[LeBron]

Two votes are now before the Midwest. One is the Bicameral Birthing Amendment that passed the Senate which would establish a lower house and decrease the aggregate of Senators from 10 to 6. If it passes 4 of the 5 regions and it meets with the requirements of 3, consolidated regions, then it will be fully amended in the Atlasian Constitution. Vote whatever you like on this, and that voting booth can be found here. This will be a 7 day vote.

Just a few days before the At-Large Senate elections begin, we also have a special election to replace Arturo Belano as Midwest Governor. I'm the only declared candidate in this race and I encourage you all to give me your top preference in this race! I'm continuing to set out to make this region strong once again and a vote for me is a vote for progress and a no to a merge. This vote can be found here. This will be a 5 day vote.

[LeBron]

Now onto a more important matter, it's come to my attention that there has been an unfortunate school shooting within our region involving the deaths of 5 children who certainly would have had great futures within the Midwest. I condemn this shooting, but I will have a full speech later tonight on this including laying out a new, much-needed gun control proposal for the Midwest.

[LeBron]

Speaker FitzGerald approaches the podium in front of the gunned down school as he gets applauded by parents, mostly teachers and adults, in the crowd.

Thank you all who came here tonight in Colorado Springs, Colorado; three nights after the lives of 5 kids were taken as well as 13 injured with the shooter himself committing suicide. Obviously, the death of anyone from our region is tragic, but these were 5 kids who were destined for great things and would have contributed something great down the road as part of this region's future. I'm aware there are some of you here tonight who are mourning the loss of your children, the loss of friends, injured relatives, and friends and teachers you know who were physically or emotionally hurt in this travesty.

One things for sure though; action will be taken. I have my eyes set on passing a strict gun control bill which many from the right will surely oppose, but it is necessary as many studies show that gun control is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of unfortunate instances such as this. Atlasia does already have some gun legislation, but it's basic laws at that including the creation of a registry, closing the background check loophole, requiring licenses for hunting, banning gun access to those with mental illnesses and criminals with past records etc. and we need to go one step further. Our former Governor was pro-gun, and I'll admit, while I am an outspoken opponent of guns, I do not support an all-out gun ban as it would be in direct violation of the Constitution, but the Constitution, which says nothing about prohibiting the regulation of guns can be worked around for an effective piece of legislation.

I'm vowing right now that if the bill I'm drafting does pass the Althing, I will follow suit in the lines of the great Lincoln Chafee, a man of bipartisan accomplishments, and sign it into law right outside by the steps of the legislature upon it's passage.

Here are the main five components of the bill known as F.A.N.G.O among more to come in the actual legislation:

F - FIGHT 1) Supplying government aid to help improve and hire more law enforcement and security officials to help oversee our schools. As a college student myself, I've seen first-hand that having armed security guards outside and inside the perimeters is a first step towards ending gun violence. Other aid will go towards mandatory buzz-ins with scanned identification of said person, built-in video cameras and trigger alarms around the school, and mandatory metal detectors in all public places.

A - AGAINST 2) Require that all parents of children have their firearms properly locked and concealed with a trigger lock and/or ensure that the gun is unloaded and disassembled. More than 43% of careless parents keep their firearms unlocked and easily accessible to children which the New England Journal of Medicine stated children are more likely to die from than cancer. It is unintentional when young kids kill themselves or someone else, and most of them don't know any better, but their parents or guardians do know better than that.

N - NEEDLESS 3) Ban high capacity magazines with more than 3 rounds of ammo and prohibit the carrying of more than 10 rounds of ammo at a time within the confines of your home. France has a law similar to this and their gun death rates are much lower than those of our country. If Lanza's mother did not have the unneeded 1,700 rounds of ammo that she had, there would have been much smaller destruction and violence to this day with fewer deaths.

G - GUN 4) Require 180-day waiting periods before someone can obtain the gun they purchased and keep a database of people who purchased guns, limiting them to one gun purchase per 6 months. This would give police the chance to run much more thorough background checks on the buyer's history and whether or not they can legally own a gun as well as ensuring that one individual or group doesn't legally possess too many guns at one time. This would drastically reduce gun violence in our community.

O - OWNERSHIP 5) Prohibiting the ability to carry a concealed gun into all public places. All private firearms will be restricted to the household of the owner of the firearm(s). This does sound intrusive, however, the Atlasian Constitution gives the "right to keep and bear arms" which, if you take word for word, would still be constitutional. To "keep" an arm speaks for itself; this part of the bill would not restrict that in any way, and to "bear" an arm is to convey, or carry, it. This bill would still allow for the firearm to be carried; as long as it's within the confines of the home.

Let me tell you this everyone. No person should need a gun to defend themselves. There's a reason why we have a wonderfully, trained, trusted and well-respected law enforcement and military to protect us. We should have faith that they'll use their firearms in a respectful and lawful manner and protect themselves, but first and foremost, protect our citizens from harm.

For those upset that you can't kill animals, you can always buy targets and maybe even some dartboards and use your gun for that, but in our region, there will be no citizen killing Bambi anymore with an AK-47 or a shotgun or any gun for that matter. The gun was initially created by the Chinese in barbaric fashion and it still is used in that way. How can we as a society justify the manslaughter of our own people or for that matter the killing of our beautiful creatures brought to us to live in harmony; not in pain? There is a road to peace, but we just have to find it and be willing to act on it. Other nations have evolved on this issue, but we haven't. The intent of the gun has always been to kill which is not only a crime against the government, but a crime against God.

Knock the walls down, Midwesterners. If you want change in our region's gun laws, let your voices be heard! We will do this together and defeat the gun touters of this region in the name of liberalism, but for now, my and presumably my colleagues deepest condolences and sympathy go towards the fallen victims of this incident.

Thank you, and God Bless the Most Serene Republic of the Midwest.

Midwest Speaker LeBron FitzGerald, incoming Governor of the Most Serene Republic of the Midwest

[Donerail]

A friendly question for the Governor-elect from another region: what do you project will be the economic impact of banning what is, nationally, a $23 billion industry, from your region?

[LeBron]

A friendly question for the Governor-elect from another region: what do you project will be the economic impact of banning what is, nationally, a $23 billion industry, from your region?

We're not flat-out going to ban guns. People can still legally purchase guns and own them as the Constitution states, just there are some additional regulations in this bill. The only side-effects are that this will cause less revenue to be brought in and there would be some gun businesses that would move elsewhere, but our regional economy is in great shape nonetheless. It's nothing to worry about.

Gun violence itself causes $2.3 billion in economic damage per year, so economically, there is a loss in revenue either way. When I take this issue on, I consider the social aspects of it much more, which should be the case.

[Donerail]

A friendly question for the Governor-elect from another region: what do you project will be the economic impact of banning what is, nationally, a $23 billion industry, from your region?

We're not flat-out going to ban guns. People can still legally purchase guns and own them as the Constitution states, just there are some additional regulations in this bill. The only side-effects are that this will cause less revenue to be brought in and there would be some gun businesses that would move elsewhere, but our regional economy is in great shape nonetheless. It's nothing to worry about.

Gun violence itself causes $2.3 billion in economic damage per year, so economically, there is a loss in revenue either way. When I take this issue on, I consider the social aspects of it much more, which should be the case.

I'm aware that you are not banning guns. I'm referring to your proposal that appears to eliminate the hunting industry.

[Donerail]

A friendly question for the Governor-elect from another region: what do you project will be the economic impact of banning what is, nationally, a $23 billion industry, from your region?

We're not flat-out going to ban guns. People can still legally purchase guns and own them as the Constitution states, just there are some additional regulations in this bill. The only side-effects are that this will cause less revenue to be brought in and there would be some gun businesses that would move elsewhere, but our regional economy is in great shape nonetheless. It's nothing to worry about.

Gun violence itself causes $2.3 billion in economic damage per year, so economically, there is a loss in revenue either way. When I take this issue on, I consider the social aspects of it much more, which should be the case.

I'm aware that you are not banning guns. I'm referring to your proposal that appears to eliminate the hunting industry.

What about trapping and archery?

I don't have numbers on the trapping industry, but spending on archery equipment for hunting is only around 19% of the size of spending on firearms. Regardless, given the Governor-elect's rhetoric ("How can we as a society justify ... the killing of our beautiful creatures") I'd be interested to see whether he continues to support the legality of trapping and archery.

[LeBron]

On a quick note, tomorrow the polls close in the special gubernatorial election, and I will be inaugurated from our capital in South Dakota as the next Midwest Governor. One way or another, my statement that FitzGerald would be elected Governor did come true this year.

[LeBron]

South Dakota House Speaker Brian Gosch introduces the Governor-elect, LeBron FitzGerald, in the South Dakota state legislative chamber in Pierre, South Dakota as colleagues, officials, and citizens look on and applaud.

Thank you! I would like to thank right away Mr. Gosch for inviting me here tonight to deliver my address. I would also like to thank Mr. Daugaard for serving the good people of this state's capital and understanding what real transparency looks like. But most of all, I would like to thank all of you who have the faith in me to lead this entire region, and who voted for me over this past weekend. You guys are all great and it's an honor to be here tonight giving you the opportunity to hear my plan to make the Midwest strong again!

I've been with this region since only February of this year, but in just 6 months, I went from being a resident to becoming the head leader of the region. But you know what? I'm not the only leader. You guys are all leaders to in your own individual ways as well in the progressive ideals this region advocates for, and you should all be very proud of yourselves. 

If it wasn't for Governor Windjammer from the start, I would not be standing here before you today as the Midwest Governor. I cannot thank him enough for giving me such a great opportunity back then to be in the Althing, and it was during that time that we saw the kind of cross-over support that's very rare at a federal level. Unemployment decreased by 0.2% in the Midwest during my time in the Althing and we did so by using funds towards useful social programs and to promote our region and also create good paying jobs.

That way has worked in the past and present and it's all thanks to bipartisanship. It will undoubtedly work in the future, to. You know, earlier today, the current acting IDS Governor, Dereich, called me a maverick, or independent member, of my party, and that couldn't be anymore true. I voted for GAworth and Lumine in this Senate election and I oppose the current Labor majority. I'm not going to be a hack for a Labor Party that's shifting towards left-wing extremism. I won't be running against Senator TNF in October, but I will back whoever his challenger is; someone who's more pragmatic and open to debate in a deadlocked Senate. I'm in the party to stay, but I'm a politician for the people, not the party. You can better believe that the federal government will in no way influence how I govern this region!

Our plan over the next month or so leading up to the September elections involves a reform of the Althing through an amendment I may bring to a popular vote if I can encourage enough citizens in our region to seek office. I'll be the primary updater of our regional Wiki, as well. We need a more representative government and this would certainly help boost activity and strengthen our economy. Furthermore, our current legislative agenda entails prohibiting texting while driving to prevent fatal car crashes, supplying the $1B in aid granted by the feds to help reduce poverty by creating more shelters and jobs for the impoverished, and a common sense gun control proposal in response to the Colorado shooting. All of these are of utmost importance to our society. You guys are more than welcome to take part in the debates and express new ideas or concerns you could have before the Althing. My office is usually open, to and this is what my Governorship will be about. A Governor FitzGerald is a governor for the poor and middle class, for our discriminated against minorities, and for hope.

We will lead our region on the road to recovery and one of the ways to do that is avoid the unfortunate communist route this region has gone down before. With a moderate Labor Governor and a moderate Federalist Archduke, we'll be able to work together while both avoiding one-party control and avoiding deep polarization. When it comes down to it, people will be looking towards the Midwest when they consider what compromise is all about.

Thank you, and God Bless the Most Serene Republic of the Midwest.

Governor LeBron FitzGerald walks off from the Speaker's podium as he heads out of the chamber with large applause; shaking hands and talking with officials on his way out.

[LeBron]

Hey guys! Thanks for joining me here tonight at the reception after my 89-11 victory for Governor. Please help yourself to all of the non-alcoholic beverages and snacks, and no smoking please. I thought this would be the perfect time to announce what everyone's been waiting for: who's replacing Cris in the Assembly.

Well, before I say who that is, let me just commend Representative Cris for his long-standing commitment to this region and his willingness to work across party lines. I've said this before and I'll say it again, there's nobody more deserving to be Archduke than him and I know he'll do a great job overseeing the Althing. I appoint Cris to be the next Midwest Archduke.

With that said, this man I'm about to name has expressed interest in being in the Althing once again and he's highly qualified for the job. He's a man of great integrity, a strong, active campaigner with a phenomenal agenda, and is a warm-hearted individual. I'm talking about former Secretary of Internal Affairs, GAworth of the P.E.A.C.E Party! Upon Cris's resignation as a Most Serene Representative, I hereby appoint GAworth to that vacant seat.

There may be another seat in the Althing to be vacated soon as well, but I won't mention that, yet. Not to ruin the party, but our regional Constitution does state that a special election is to be held for Archduke and Most Serene Representative if the seats are vacant more than 30 days from the next election, however, that's not the case. The next Archduke-Althing elections are on September 18th, which is less than 30 days from now, so per the MW Constitution, special elections will not need to be held for either two of these seats.

Here is my campaign spokesman to read the aforementioned amendments that state this. Have a great rest of your night everyone!

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[Senator Cris]

Thanks for the appointment!
Can I resign as Representative and swear as Archduke or first we need the Althing vote?

[LeBron]

Thanks for the appointment!
Can I resign as Representative and swear as Archduke or first we need the Althing vote?

I just noticed, this amendment actually has some loopholes that make this hard to interpret. The bolded parts are those that pertain to this situation.

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And c) and d) again:

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So what I'm going to do is, you can swear in as Archduke and resign as a Representative since the region is supposed to have one at all times. Once GAworth swears in then, a thread can be opened then to get "the approval given by the Althing" for you as Archduke. And there will be no special election because the next Archduke election is Sept. 18th, less than 30 days which applies to Subsection 4.

[GAworth]

Thank you Governor!

[Lumine]

Well, Adam, you certainly have my most sincere gratitude for your preference in the election (I know it probably wasn't easy) and my support on your endeavours to bring the Midwest back. And of course, congratulations on a great speech and a great pick for the Althing as well!

[LeBron]

^^No problem guys. Well, there were some tensions over my vote for Lumine, but that's been solved.

As many of you in this region know, the next Althing elections, coinciding with the Archduke election, are in less than 3 weeks, starting Sept. 18th. I've been actively trying to see who and who isn't interested in running, with a handful declining so far and others who need more time to decide. If anyone who's registered in this region would like to be in the Althing, please declare your candidacy for the upcoming elections soon! There may be a vacant seat to fill shortly, to, so there's also that.

Also, even though I'm very busy IRL with school, work, friends etc., I promised the Midwest a transparent government and I won't go back on that promise like Scott Walker did. I'll still be greatly involved in the Althing in debates and will offer redrafts, amendments and plenty of new bills to debate over.

I also gave my Wiki page a much needed edit and I will be the new regular updater of the Midwest's main page/sub-pages and Midwest statute page. I haven't gotten to the latter yet, but I will very soon.

Thanks everyone, and let's continue to keep the Midwest strong!

[LeBron]

As you can see here, I have a squirrel behind me, and that's because he's a mascot for this region to give hope and fun at the same time in reinvigorating the Midwest region! He's known as the Most Serene Squirrel, and don't worry, he doesn't bite. Feel free to meet him in a little bit and even take a selfie with him if you want!

I'd just like to welcome all of our new, young and excited Atlasians who recently moved here to the Midwest! You guys are awesome and it's continued proof that the regional Midwest Labor Party is more than willing to work with other parties and expand our opportunities.

As a committed former office holder in the Althing myself, I'm incredibly happy to see so many of you taking an interest in running for and possibly having the opportunity to represent the People's Region. Like I said before, I by no means want to be a polarizing politician, and this region has great potential when Labor has colleagues in the region willing to put aside petty differences to strive for common goals.

The way it's looking now, the next Althing, including the Archduke, will have 2 Federalists, 1 Laborite and someone from a third party. Through this, everyone's voice will be able to be heard! Hopefully Representative GAworth's common sense reform amendment of the Althing could expand those opportunities and increase the aggregate chances of a more open government.

I can promise you that the Midwest is in a comeback mode! We will continue to move forward and you can better believe it will stay this way as long as we abandon this region's past communist roots and move one step closer to an ideal region.

Thank you, and I think the squirrel can take it from here!

Most Serene Squirrel begins to breakdance on the floor to music that begins to play in the background as Governor FitzGerald walks off his podium.

[SWE]

Most Serene Squirrel begins to breakdance on the floor to music that begins to play in the background as Governor FitzGerald walks off his podium.[/center]

LeBronFitzGerald for president

[free my dawg]

fitzy for god-king of atlasia

[Oakvale]

KILL... ME...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

fitzy for god-king of atlasia

Do NOT encourage him.

[GAworth]

Most Serene Squirrel begins to breakdance on the floor to music that begins to play in the background as Governor FitzGerald walks off his podium.[/center]

LeBronFitzGerald for president

Agreed, who can beat a break dancing squirrel. Fitzgerald/Fitzy