Southern Legislation Introduction Thread (3rd version)

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Any advice for what to do in regards to the speaker and deputy speaker elections, procedure-wise?

[Mr. Reactionary]

I would first create a thread for nominations.

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https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=261766.0

I believe you are the dean of the new chamber.

[IceAgeComing]

Who's the second longest serving member?  In the absence of the longest serving person; maybe they could post the thread?

Hell; if no one posts it soon I'll post the bloody thing...

[Mr. Reactionary]

Who's the second longest serving member?  In the absence of the longest serving person; maybe they could post the thread?

Hell; if no one posts it soon I'll post the bloody thing...

My understanding of seniority is:

Tim
Bluedog
Celtic* if non-consecutive tenure counts or
Me* if consecutive tenure only

You, Lech, and DTC are new.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

The thread could not be made till Monday. Doing it earlier would have been plainly in violation of the rules.
Now it's Monday, so...

[IceAgeComing]

In the off chance that you aren't allowed to pre-file legislation before the term starts (I remember there was an issue about that once and I can't remember the outcome) I would like to make sure that the Southern Healthcare Act is top of the queue.  If you are allowed to then please disregard this post.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

On your mark... Get set... LEGISLATE!!

[diptheriadan]

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Y'all can fix any errors and make it look pretty.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Race Track Betting Gaming Act

Be it enacted:

1.) Any establishment in the Southern Region which is licensed to allow the placing of wagers on live animal races, shall be permitted to also allow coin-operated slot machines inside of the establishment. All income earned from the slot machines shall be reported and taxed the same as revenue from the animal races.

2.) No non-profit organization or religious institution which conducts a raffle or bingo game in which anything of value is offered as a prize, shall be prosecuted for illegal gambling, provided all income from the raffle or game is used for a charitable purpose.  For the purposes of this subsection, a charitable purpose includes the paying of administrative costs necessary for a non-profit organization or religious institution to operate.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Vendor Freedom Act

Be it enacted:

1.) No locality in the Southern Region shall prohibit a food truck from safely operating within a fixed distance of a storefront.

2.) No locality in the Southern Region shall prohibit a food truck from safely operating near an intersection, provided the food truck is parked at least 75 feet away from the intersection.

3.) No locality in the Southern Region shall prohibit a food truck from lawfully parking in a public parking space after a fixed duration of time, provided the food truck does not occupy the same parking space for a consecutive 12 hours. During a special event, a locality may limit the duration a food truck may occupy a public parking space to 2 hours,  provided the locality posts signs stating the limitation within line of sight of the parking lot no less than 24 hours before the temporary restrictions take effect.

4.) No person or persons in the Southern Region who operate a temporary stand adjacent to a road or sidewalk for the purpose of selling produce, christmas trees, lemonade, firewood, or bottled water, shall be required to obtain a business license or permit to operate the stand. For the purposes of this subsection, a temporary stand is defined as a non-permanent display which occupies the same physical location for less than 70 days.

5.) No person or persons in the Southern Region who conduct a yardsale shall be required to obtain a business license or permit. For the purposes of this subsection, a yardsale is defined as an event lasting no more than 3 consecutive days during which second hand or pre-owned items are sold by a person or persons who are not regular merchants of the types of items being sold.

6.) This act shall take effect immediately.

[Mr. Reactionary]

 I love Fig Newtons Act

Be it enacted:

1.) As diets rich in fiber are important towards maintaining good health, and

2.) As fig newtons are soft, delicious and filled with healthy fruit,

3.) The fig newton is hereby declared the official cookie of the Southern Region.

4.) Any citizen of Southern Region who is at least 19 years old and eligible to purchase a firearm, may purchase a handgun from a private seller who is also a citizen of Southern Region.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Attorney licensing reform Act

Be it enacted:

1.) Each member of any State Board of Bar Examiners in the Southern Region shall be required to take the Bar Exam for their State every 5 years. Any Board member who fails to earn a score sufficient to pass were the Board member a traditional applicant,  shall be removed from their position and be ineligible to serve as a Board member in the future, until 5 years have passed and the Board member successfully passes the Bar Exam.

2.) The Virginia Board of Bar Examiners rule requiring a dress code during bar examinations is hereby repealed.

3.) Fee sharing shall be allowed between associations of doctors and lawyers for the purpose of enforcing healthier patient outcomes related to housing code violations, child abuse, government benefit enrollment, medical consent issues, and air quality enforcement.

4.) This act shall take effect immediately.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Eminent domain reform act

Be it enacted:

1.) The Southern Regional government, and any State or locality within is hereby prohibited from taking private property through condemnation, unless that government offers just compensation and the property being taken is needed for public use.

2.) A study shall be conducted on the legality of abrogating all contractual covenants related to physical housing and landscape appearance included in Home Owners Association regulations.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Medical Cocaine Act

Be it enacted:

1.) Any person who possesses 25 grams or less of cocaine within the Southern Region, shall not be prosecuted for possession of an illegal drug, provided they first obtained a valid prescription from a doctor licensed to practice in the Southern Region or a doctor licensed to practice in a region which has entered into a medical cocaine compact with the southern region.

2.) This act does not preclude prosecution for possession with intent to distribute to a person who lacks a valid prescription.

3.) This law shall take effect immediately.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Help the Cripples Act

Be it enacted:

1.) It shall be the official policy of the Southern Region, whenever possible, to offer 10% of Regional contracts for the purchase of goods or services, to firms that are either owned by a person who qualifies as physically disabled under National law, or to firms which maintain a policy of reserving up to 10% of qualifying jobs for capable workers who qualify as physically disabled under National law.

2.) A qualifying job under the Act, is defined as any job for which a physically disabled person can adequately perform the necessary tasks.

3.) Any person receiving payments from a government program who elects to have a fiduciary receive those payments under the regulations of that government program, shall not be considered mentally incompetent for the purpose of purchasing or owning firearms, unless that person has been adjudicated as mentally incompetent by a Judge in an independent judicial proceeding where the person if afforded full due process of law. Nothing in this subsection grants any Court additional jurisdiction to hear requests for a declaration of mental incompetency.

4.) It shall not be considered unlawful discrimination for any private club, gymnasium, hotel, or motel swimming pool to lack a mechanized lift designed for the purpose of lowering the physically disabled into the swimming pool.

5.) $8,000 from the general treasury is hereby authorized and appropriated to the City of Gaffney, South Carolina to assist in the renovation of their water tower commonly known as the Peachoid.

6.) This act shall take effect 1 year from the date of passage.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Who Cares How People Decorate Their Loved Ones' Graves Act

Be it enacted:

1.) The right of persons or Organizations to donate flags or ornaments for the purpose of honoring the graves of dead veterans buried in Regionally maintained cemeteries shall not be violated. Such flags include but are not limited to any flag of the United States or Confederate States or Atlasia or the POW flag or any flag associated with the religious, tribal, or military affiliation of the interred.

2.) It shall be the position of the Southern Region that anyone who has a problem with someone adorning a loved one's grave with such a protected flag, just because the gravesite is maintained by the Regional Government and they personally do not like the choice of flag, is an asshole who should be ignored.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Stop Harming Minorities Act

an act to repeal criminal laws which disproportionately and unfairly target racial minorities

Be it enacted:

1.) It shall not be unlawful for a citizen of the Southern Region who is eligible to own a firearm to own, possess, or carry a switchblade knife or nunchucks.

2.) It shall not be unlawful for a citizen of the Southern Region who can lawfully own a switchblade knife or nunchucks to sell a switchblade knife or nunchucks to another citizen of the Southern Region who is eligible to own a switchblade knife or nunchucks.

3.) Any person lawfully selling a switchblade knife or nunchucks in the Southern Region may access the NICS database to request a background check to determine if a potential customer is eligible to own the switchblade knife or nunchucks.

4.) Any person who attends an organized fight between two or more animals shall not be prosecuted for animal cruelty, felony animal fighting, or conspiracy to commit the aforementioned crimes, unless that person was active in organizing or conducting the animal fight, or provided animals to be used in the fight.

5.) The sentencing guidelines for possession of rock cocaine, commonly known as crack, shall be equalized at the same weight as prescribed in the sentencing guidelines for powder cocaine.

6.) Any Regional or State ban on possessing Diisopropyltryptamine, Jimson Weed, Khat, or Salvia is hereby repealed.

7.) Any State or local ban on motorists operating their vehicles on the road while having no intended destination, commonly known as cruising, is hereby repealed.

8.) It shall be the official position of the Southern Region that Atlasia President Fhtagn offer a posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson for his unfair 1913 conviction under the awful White-Slave Traffic Act.

9.) It shall be the official position of the Southern Region that the National government of Atlasia repeal the censorship guidelines for content broadcast over National radio frequencies. This censorship restricts free speech and butchers the artistic vision of hip hop and other music genres.

10.) It shall be the official position of the Southern Region that Black lives matter.

11.) The Southern Region hereby opts out of the Federal Rent Control program and declares that such program is a stupid law which makes affordable housing less likely.

12.) This act shall take effect immediately.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Cool Creatures Commemorative Coin Act

An act to raise money for wildlife management.

Be it enacted:

1.) The Southern Regional government shall purchase 10,000 troy ounces of silver bullion and commission the minting of 10,000 non legal tender, silver, 1 troy oz commemorative tokens, to be sold to the public at $30 per token.

2.) Each token shall include on the obverse, "Southern Region 2017" as well as the name and a sculpting to be approved by the governor, of the wild horses of Chincoteague.

3.) Each token shall include on the reverse, "Southern Region 2017" as well as the name and a sculpting to be approved by the governor, of the Texas Longhorn Steer.

4.) All proceeds from the sale of these tokens shall be deposited in a special trust fund hereby created in the General Treasury for the purpose of funding animal rescue centers and wildlife management programs.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Governmental Reform Act

Be it enacted:

1.) No person applying for employment with any Regional, State, or local government within the Southern Region shall be required to take a polygraph test.

2.) No person applying for employment with any Regional, State, or local government within the Southern Region shall be required to take a drug test, with the following exceptions:

a.) Law Enforcement Officers
b.) Fire Fighters and Emergency Services Personnel
c.) Persons employed at a Jail or Prison
d.) Active members of the National Guard
e.) Persons whose job activities regularly require the operation of heavy machinery

3.) It is hereby prohibited for any Regional, State or local government contract for the construction, renovation, or repair of public schools, public roads and bridges, and public sewer systems, to include a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with a union prescribing terms and conditions of employment. It is also prohibited for such contracts to include a provision requiring the payment of a prevailing wage.

4.) Any scientific, geologic, GIS, or other informational data compiled by any department of any Regional, State, or local government, shall be considered the same as a public document, unless it is the subject of a recent and on-going law enforcement investigation. Every effort shall be made by governmental employees to make this public information freely and easily accessible on the internet.

[Mr. Reactionary]

We Love Equality, Yes We Do Act

Be it enacted:

1.) As competitive athletics are an important tradition which foster teamwork, help children socialize, and encourage exercise,

2.) As competitive cheerleading is an egalitarian sport which allows both boys and girls to compete alongside each other  without need for discriminatory separate and not so equal  divisions, and

3.) As for too long the public has been exposed to a sexist false depiction of competitive cheerleading devoid of the skill and athleticism truly exhibited by the competitors,

4.) The sport of competitive cheerleading is hereby proclaimed the official sport of the Southern Region.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Dramshop Stimulus Act

An act to help small businesses

Be it enacted:

1.) Reserved

2.) Any business establishment in the Southern Region which is licensed to sell alcoholic spirits by the drink may choose to allow customers to smoke cigarettes or cannabis while inside the establishment, provided the establishment posts a visible sign not less than 4 Ft X 4 Ft near the front door stating "Smoking allowed."

3.) Any business establishment in the Southern Region which is licensed to sell alcoholic spirits by the drink may choose to allow employees, performers, or customers to go nude while inside the establishment, provided the establishment posts a visible sign not less than 4 Ft X 4 Ft near the front door stating "Nudity allowed."

4.) This act shall take effect 1 year from the date of passage.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Just a Little Drinky Poo Act

Be it enacted:

1.) Any person in the Southern Region who brews, ferments, or distills beer, wine, or alcoholic spirits shall not be prosecuted for violating any business regulation, provided the final product is not sold in commerce. Nothing in this sub-section shall limit any civil suit by a non-governmental person against a person who brews, ferments, or distills alcohol.

2.) Any person who provides a small amount of wine to a person under the age of 19 in accordance with a religious practice or belief, shall not be prosecuted for providing alcohol to a minor.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Snow Removal Technical Corrections Act

Be it enacted:

1.) The current ban on flamethrowers in Maryland is hereby repealed.

2.) The current ban on "assault weapons" and "high capacity magazines" in Maryland and the District of Columbia is hereby repealed.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Fried Chicken Celebration Month

Be it enacted:

1.) As the raising of chickens for consumption is an important source of employment in the Southern Region,

2.) As the consumption of lean poultry such as chicken is an important and delicious way to maintain proper nutrition, and

3.) As fried chicken is a popular meal culturally associated with Southern Region, and serves as an excellent symbol of Southern love, hospitality, and charm,

4.) The month of July 2018 shall be proclaimed Fried Chicken Celebration Month. It shall be the official policy of the Southern Region to encourage all Atlasians to eat fried chicken at least once during Fried Chicken Celebration Month.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Dogs and Cats Are Good Act

Be it enacted:

1.) Any locality in the Southern Region which requires the owner of a dog or cat owner to pay an annual licensing or registration fee,  is prohibited from charging more than $10 per animal per year.

2.) Any person in the Southern Region who owns a dog or cat to assist with day to day activities due to limitations from a physical disability, shall not be charged a licensing or registration fee for that animal by any locality.

3.) No State or Locality in the Southern Region shall prohibit a person who lawfully owns an exotic, threatened, or endangered species from owning or transporting such an animal, provided the animal is safely secured.

4.) The Southern Regional government shall purchase 10,000 troy ounces of silver bullion and commission the minting of 10,000 non legal tender, silver, 1 troy oz commemorative tokens, to be sold to the public at $32 per token.

5.) Each token shall include on the obverse, "Southern Region 2017" as well as the name and a sculpting to be approved by the governor, of an adorable puppy dog.

6.) Each token shall include on the reverse, "Southern Region 2017" as well as the name and a sculpting to be approved by the governor, of an adorable kitten.

7.) All proceeds from the sale of these tokens shall be deposited in a special trust fund hereby created in the General Treasury for the purpose of funding animal rescue centers and local programs for spaying and neutering stray cats and dogs.