SENATE BILL: The Regional Exemption Act of 2014 (Failed)

[Lumine]

Aye.

[TNF]

Nay

[Goldwater]

AYE

[President Tyrion]

Nay

[bore]

Nay

[Talleyrand]

Nay

[TNF]

AYE

Why is a self-described libertarian voting to allow the drug war to resume?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

AYE

Why is a self-described libertarian voting to allow the drug war to resume?

  This bill simply gives the regions the ability to determine their own drug policies rather than having radical, addict-enabling legislation shoved down their throats at the federal level.  Also, anyone who has been paying attention knows that I'm not advocating a return to the drug war era.  However, the status quo has also been a disaster.  We need a new approach and that is what I have been fighting for.

[TNF]

AYE

Why is a self-described libertarian voting to allow the drug war to resume?

  This bill simply gives the regions the ability to determine their own drug policies rather than having radical, addict-enabling legislation shoved down their throats at the federal level.  Also, anyone who has been paying attention knows that I'm not advocating a return to the drug war era.  However, the status quo has also been a disaster.  We need a new approach and that is what I have been fighting for.

None of the drugs that are legal in this Republic are addictive. People do not get addicted to Marijuana, 'Shrooms, or LSD. The harder drugs are decriminalized, yes, but there are still criminal penalties for the sale of said drugs and there are safe alternatives out there, with the needle sharing program having been made permanent and those incarcerated for use transferred to rehab centers. There's literally no reason to undo the great, progressive strides we have made in Atlasian drug policy. It's madness. It's reaction. It's ridiculous.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

What is the status quo anyway? I guess once we get our GM installed, we will figure it out. I thought Nix showed that last time we asked this question, the ending of the drug war had a positive effect?

I am not sure what I will do with this bill, but I fear that if this goes into law, some regions may enact laws that are so different from other regions that it will create a dangerous environment and cause people to engage in risky behavior to get their drugs, and persons traveling through or visiting these regions will be open to prosecution they may not be aware of or understand, and this will put a strain on our legal system.

Once you legalize things like we have, it's difficult to go back and make them illegal. See: prohibition in earth 20th century.

[TNF]

If this bill (unfortunately) passes, I urge the President to veto it. In the absence of a veto, I will immediately introduce legislation to repeal this bill, should it become law. We have come too far to undermine and reverse the great strides toward ending the New Jim Crow to throw it all away to satisfy the enemies of personal freedom, the private prisons industry, and federal authority.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

If this bill (unfortunately) passes, I urge the President to veto it. In the absence of a veto, I will immediately introduce legislation to repeal this bill, should it become law. We have come too far to undermine and reverse the great strides toward ending the New Jim Crow to throw it all away to satisfy the enemies of personal freedom, the private prisons industry, and federal authority.

I urge President Duke to sign this essential piece of legislation if it passes and to allow any regions wishing to do so to confine Atlasia's failed drug policies to trash-bin of history where they belong.  I would also encourage him to disregard the extremist rhetoric of those who believe every drug user is as innocent as a newborn babe and see sensible drug laws as the return to segregation and sharecropping.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

As I said in another thread, I am going to veto this bill if it passes. At the end of the day, we have decriminalized all of these drugs. Reversing course and allowing regions to enact archaic drug laws will not only cost us money and penalize people who use drugs that hurt no one but themselves, it is counterproductive.

I am a big proponent of uniformity in the law, and I fear this will also give people incentive to engage in risky behavior, and that will lead to a strain on our judicial system and the prisons. Once we decriminalize/legalize something, recriminalizing it without some concrete proof of it's dangers/addictiveness is just irresponsible. People need to be treated for drug addictions, not put in jail.

X stood up for his beliefs, and that's okay, I admire that, it takes guts, but I simply cannot go along with it, and I am the big man in the big chair with the big veto pen.

[Deus Naturae]

If this bill (unfortunately) passes, I urge the President to veto it. In the absence of a veto, I will immediately introduce legislation to repeal this bill, should it become law. We have come too far to undermine and reverse the great strides toward ending the New Jim Crow to throw it all away to satisfy the enemies of personal freedom, the private prisons industry, and federal authority.

I urge President Duke to sign this essential piece of legislation if it passes and to allow any regions wishing to do so to confine Atlasia's failed drug policies to trash-bin of history where they belong.  I would also encourage him to disregard the extremist rhetoric of those who believe every drug user is as innocent as a newborn babe and see sensible drug laws as the return to segregation and sharecropping.

Out of curiosity, what "crime" do you believe drug users to be "guilty" of?

[Napoleon]

As I said in another thread, I am going to veto this bill if it passes. At the end of the day, we have decriminalized all of these drugs. Reversing course and allowing regions to enact archaic drug laws will not only cost us money and penalize people who use drugs that hurt no one but themselves, it is counterproductive.

I am a big proponent of uniformity in the law, and I fear this will also give people incentive to engage in risky behavior, and that will lead to a strain on our judicial system and the prisons. Once we decriminalize/legalize something, recriminalizing it without some concrete proof of it's dangers/addictiveness is just irresponsible. People need to be treated for drug addictions, not put in jail.

X stood up for his beliefs, and that's okay, I admire that, it takes guts, but I simply cannot go along with it, and I am the big man in the big chair with the big veto pen.

Is anything else big? Just curious.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I think everyone has voted.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I think everyone has voted.

My last count is 5-5 and since it is a tie we cannot do anything until the time runs out. The vote time expires Thursday evening.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Vote on Final PAssage of the Regional Exemption Act of 2014:

Aye (5): DC al Fine, Goldwater, Lumine, Mr. X and NC Yankee
NAy (5): bore, shua, Talleyrand, TNF and TyriontheImperialist
Abstain (0):

Didn't Vote (0):

With time having expired and a tied vote, the VP shall break the tie and end the vote, proceeding accordingly thereafter (if aye present to President).

[Sopranos Republican]

I understand that the sponsor, and those who have supported this legislation had the best of intentions, I really do. But I cannot, in good conscience allow regions to potentially imprison those Atlasians who struggle with drug use. About a year ago I wrote a bill entitled: The Prison Reform Act, with the view of overhauling our legal system. A reform with The People in mind, a reform that aimed to drastically reduce the number of Atlasians imprisoned, and reduce the time spent in prison. If certain drugs are re-criminalized even by the regions, then the whole purpose of these reforms may suffer. Prison sentences accomplish nothing positive for the lives of drug addicts. I do not do this because I do not care about those Atlasians struggling with addictions, but because I do.

NAY

[TNF]

Thank you for preserving freedom and liberty in Atlasia, Mr. Vice President.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Maybe next time   I suppose the silver lining is that (IIRC), only Senator Ben joined me in my drug reform efforts last time.  This bill got the support of half the Senate and came *this close* to passing the Senate.  Good to see that there's at least a trend in the right direction in the Senate.

[TNF]

Maybe next time   I suppose the silver lining is that (IIRC), only Senator Ben joined me in my drug reform efforts last time.  This bill got the support of half the Senate and came *this close* to passing the Senate.  Good to see that there's at least a trend in the right direction in the Senate.

The growth of fascist elements within the Senate is indeed disturbing.