10th Council of Lincoln Legislative Introduction Thread

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

A. The Lincoln Council is hereby renamed to the Lincoln Chamber of Deputies, and notwithstanding anything else in this amendment, the Councillors (who shall now be known as Deputies), along with the incumbent governor, shall serve as acting officials in their respective offices under this new constitution until the next applicable election. The Chamber of Deputies first order of business will be writing a new SOAP.

B. If any existing Lincoln laws conflict with this amendment, they are hereby amended such that they comply/agree with the amendment, with full severability if a provision would need to be removed.

C. The Lincoln Constitution is hereby amended to read as follows:

Third Lincoln Constitution

Preamble
We, the people of the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the Virgin Islands, acting in accordance with the great precept that all men and women are created equal, and for the purpose of preserving the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for Lincoln.
Bill of Rights
1. All persons born or naturalized in the Republic of Atlasia and being residents of one of the states of this region, are citizens of Lincoln, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of the same. No citizen shall be denied equal protection under the law.
2. The Chamber of Deputies shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, nor of the press, nor the right to assemble and petition for the redress of grievances.
3. The Chamber shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, nor obstructing the freedom of worship.
4. Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, shall exist within this region, or in any territories under its jurisdiction.
5. A well-regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of citizens to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
6. In all suits of criminal law, the accused shall have right to a free and fair trial by an impartial jury of their peers.
7. No person accused of any crime under the laws of this region shall be subjected to warrantless search or seizure of their homes, persons, records, or possessions; nor excessive bail; nor cruel or unusual punishment; nor compelled to bear witness against herself; nor denied right to legal counsel.
8. The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, save when in times of war or rebellion the public safety may require it.
9. The enumeration of certain rights in this Constitution shall not be construed as to deny those natural and inherent rights herein unlisted.
(Copy of Fremont, cutting the collective bargaining section)
Article I: The Legislative power
1. All legislative powers granted herein shall be vested in an Chamber.
2. The Chamber shall consist of five members, except when there are 9 or more candidates on the ballot in a regular election, in which case it shall be 7, chosen every second month by the eligible voters of Lincoln, according to a method of proportional representation prescribed by law.
3. No person shall be a member of the Chamber who is not a citizen of this region, and no person shall remain a member who is found by a vote of three-fourths of their peers to be guilty of gross negligence, high crimes, or misdemeanors.
4. The Chamber shall elect its speaker and other officers and shall have sole authority to determine its own methods of proceedings.
5. Every bill passed by the Chamber shall, before it becomes law, be submitted to the judgment of the governor. If they approve of it, they should sign it and it will become law; but if they disapprove they may veto it, and it shall be returned to the Chamber. If, after considering the objections of the governor, the Chamber should by a two-thirds vote agree to pass the same bill, it shall become law regardless of the governor's objections. If the governor shall not act to sign or veto a bill, it shall become law seven (7) days after its adoption by the Chamber. The Governor shall have the authority to submit revisions to passed legislation if it has less than two thirds support of the chamber, if they deem fit, and return it to the legislature for reconsideration.
6. Whenever a vacancy should occur in the composition of the Chamber, the governor shall appoint a replacement. Should the vacancy have occurred fewer than 336 hours before the next general election, the member thus nominated shall serve the remainder of the existing term; otherwise, they shall serve only until a new member may be elected.
7. The Chamber may, by a four-fifths vote, impeach and remove the governor for gross negligence or criminal acts; but the governor shall not be convicted without the concurrence of four-fifths of the members present, and the penalty for his conviction shall not exceed removal from office and disbarment from holding any office under this region for eighteen months.
8. In the event of a tied vote of the Chamber, the governor shall have the power to break the tie.

Article II: The Executive Power
1. The powers and duties of the executive shall be vested in the governor of Lincoln
2. The governor shall be elected every fourth month by the entire body of eligible voters. No person shall be governor who is not a citizen of Lincoln, and no elected governor shall be a member of the Chamber.
3. The governor shall have the power to carry out all acts in association with the enforcement of the laws passed under this constitution; to command the militia in times of war; to appoint the heads of such departments which may be established by law; to issue pardons and reprieves for crimes committed under the laws of this region, which shall be permanent upon their issuance, though they shall have no power to pardon themselves; to appoint, in accordance with Article V of the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, the associate justice of the circuit court of this region; and to approve, or veto, all acts passed by the Chamber.
4. Should the governor vacate their office either by their death, removal, forfeiture, or resignation, then the speaker of the Chamber, or if there be no speaker the member with the longest continuous service, shall act as governor until a successor may be elected. The acting governor need not vacate their seat in the Chamber, but they shall have no vote in its proceedings so long as they continue to exercise the powers of the governor. If there is neither a speaker nor any members of the Chamber, then the powers and duties of the governor shall devolve upon the associate justice of the circuit court, or if there be none such officer as the president of Atlasia may appoint from among the citizens of Lincoln, until a successor may be elected.
Article III: Senators
1. Elections for the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia shall be conducted at regular intervals, in the months prescribed by the Constitution thereof.
2. Senators shall be elected by a direct vote of the people, and no person eligible to vote in elections for governor and Council shall be denied the right to vote for Senator.
3. Should a vacancy occur in the representation of this Region in the Senate, the governor shall appoint an interim senator to serve until a replacement may be elected. Special elections for the Senate shall begin on the Friday following the creation of the vacancy; but if the vacancy shall occur on a Thursday, the special election shall begin on the second Friday following the creation of the vacancy.
4. Senators who are elected in a regularly scheduled election shall take office on the first day of the next session of Congress. Senators elected in a special election shall take office immediately upon election.
Article IV: Elections
1. The right to vote in all elections and referendums called according to the provisions of this Constitution shall be exclusive to those persons being eligible to vote in elections for President of the Republic of Atlasia who have been registered to vote in one of the states of this Region for a period of at least 72 hours prior to the commencement of the election. The Chamber shall have the right to pass further residency requirements through legislation.
2. Voters shall be permitted to edit their ballots until 20 minutes after posting them in the voting booth. No voter shall edit their ballot after the official end of the voting period.
3. All elections and referendums of this region shall be administered by the governor. Whenever the governor should be unable to perform this duty, the speaker of the Chamber, or in their absence the most senior member, shall administer the election.
4. Elections for governor shall be held in the months of April, August, and December. Elections for the Chamber shall be held in the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December.
5. Candidates for governor, Chamber, and federal Senate must declare their candidacy in the appropriate thread by 2:00:00 PM, Eastern Time, on the Thursday preceding the election in order to appear on the ballot.
6. Except in the month of December, elections for governor, Chamber, and federal Senate shall begin on the penultimate Friday of the given month. In December, all elections shall begin on the second Friday of the month. Special Elections are scheduled by the Governor at any date that they deem fit. In all cases, voting shall begin at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Time, on the appointed day and continue for 72 hours hence.
7. Following the expiration of the voting period, the election administrator shall have 24 hours to produce a tally of the votes cast and to announce the persons elected.
8. All elections shall be by single transferable vote, unless otherwise specified by law.
9. The terms of the Governor and Chamber  shall begin at 12:00:00 Eastern Time on the first Wednesday following their election. Prior to assuming office, the governor and members shall swear the following oath or equivalent: “I, [A.B.], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of [state office name] and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the constitutions of Lincoln and the Republic of Atlasia.” Any person elected to office under this constitution who shall fail to swear or affirm the aforesaid within 72 hours of the constitutional commencement of their term, shall forfeit their office.
10. All referendums on proposed amendments to this constitution and to the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia shall begin on the first Friday following their passage by the appropriate body; but if the passage shall occur on a Thursday, the referendum shall begin on the second Friday following passage. The appropriate election administrator shall open the voting booth at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Time. Voting shall continue for 72 hours, and no vote cast more than 72 hours after the voting booth was opened shall be considered valid.
11. In all referendums, a “YES” vote shall be considered a vote in favor of passing the referendum and a “NO” vote shall be considered a vote against passing the referendum. Abstentions shall not affect the results of the referendum. In all cases, a simple majority of those voting “YES” or “NO” shall be required to pass the referendum.
Article V: Amendments
1. The Chamber shall have the power to propose amendments to this constitution by a two-thirds vote.
2. Lincoln shall ratify amendments to the constitution of the Republic of Atlasia by public referendum.

[Continential]

Lincoln Value Added Tax Act
To pay for programs

Be it enacted by the Government of the Region of Lincoln

1. This legislation shall be called the "Lincoln Value Added Tax"
2. The Government of Lincoln shall establish a Value Added Tax of 5% every month for all people that pay taxes that live in Lincoln and for all goods except for, all materials related to education, clothing, and food.
3. The Lincoln Value Added Tax will start on June 1st, 2021.

[KaiserDave]

Lincoln Value Added Tax Act
To pay for programs

Be it enacted by the Government of the Region of Lincoln

1. This legislation shall be called the "Lincoln Value Added Tax"
2. The Government of Lincoln shall establish a Value Added Tax of 5% every month for all people that pay taxes that live in Lincoln and for all goods except for, all materials related to education, clothing, and food.
3. The Lincoln Value Added Tax will start on June 1st, 2021.

No chance I am signing this on under circumstances

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Members are advised that as final business has commenced, no further legislation shall be entertained this session.

[Continential]

Amendment to the Lincoln Downballot Elections Act

1. The Lincoln Downballot Elections Act shall be amended as follows

2. This shall take effect immediately after being signed by the Governor

Lincoln Downballot Elections Act

I. Elections

1. Gubernatorial elections and elections for state legislature shall occur every six months. The mayoral elections for New York City and Chicago shall also occur every six months. Gubernatorial elections will not occur at the exact same time in every state.

II. Composition

1. Each of these states shall have a bicameral legislature
2. House and Senate districts are not required to be nested unless stated otherwise, also each House and Senate seat must have equal population to other House and Senate seats
3. The number of legislators per state shall be as follows:
i.Wisconsin: 33 members of the State Senate and 99 members of the State House of Representatives
ii. Illinois: 59 members of the State Senate and 118 members of the State House of Representatives
              a. 2 voting districts for the House must be nested into each Senate district
iii. Michigan: 38 members of the State Senate and 110 members of the State House of Representatives
iv. Indiana: 50 members of the State Senate and 100 members of the State House of Representatives
v. Ohio: 33 members of the State Senate and 99 members of the State House of Representatives
            a. 3 voting districts for House must be nested into each Senate seat
vi. Pennsylvania: 50 members of the State Senate and 203 members of the State House of Representatives
vii. New Jersey: 40 members of the State Senate and 80 members of the General Assembly
            a. Each Senate district shall elect two representatives, in other words House and Senate districts have the exact same lines
viii. New York: 63 members of the State Senate and 150 members of the State House of Representatives
             a. nesting not required, however nesting districts is preferred, if possible
ix. Connecticut: 36 members of the State Senate and 151 members of the State House of Representatives
x. Rhode Island: 38 members of the State Senate and 75 members of the State House of Representatives
xi. Massachusetts: 40 members of the State Senate and 160 members of the State House of Representatives
xii. Vermont: 30 members of the State Senate and 150 members of the State House of Representatives
xiii. New Hampshire: 24 members of the State Senate and 400 members of the State House of Representatives
             a.  Districts in the New Hampshire House of Representatives shall vary, from electing one member to electing eleven members.
xix. Maine: 35 members of the State Senate and 151 members of the State House of Representatives
             a. three additional non-voting seats in the House of Representatives must be set aside for members of the Penobscot Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe, and the Houlton Band of Maliseets.
xx. Virgin Islands: 15 members of the upper house of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands and 25 members of the lower house
xxi. All elections for State Senate shall be conducted by ranked choice voting. All elections for House of Representatives, except in New Jersey shall be conducted by ranked choice voting
xxii. Elections for the General Assembly in New Jersey shall occur based on a first-past-the-post voting system.
xxiii. 29 members of the Vermont House of Representatives shall elect 2 members per district and shall be considered multi-member districts.
4. All states shall have their “default” systems for electing the lower houses of their legislature as elections by instant runoff voting for single-member district constituencies; excepting New Jersey, whose default system shall be the election of two members in each upper house district by two separate instant runoff elections. Each state may additionally choose to adopt one of the following alternative systems:
i. Proportional list representation with no districts
ii. Mixed-Member Proportional system
iii. Elections to multi-member districts via Single Transferable Vote; each district electing 3 or more members.
States that choose to adopt such a system shall adjust their districts and nesting requirements accordingly. Such adoption may be simulated by the GM, including adoption by a state prior to the passage of this bill.
5. All upper houses of state legislatures must be elected by Instant Runoff Vote in single-member districts.
6. States shall have the option to switch to a parliamentary system, mirroring Lincoln’s own system; in such a system the Governor’s role would become more procedural and facilitators while the head of government would be selected by the governor and required to command confidence of a majority of the lower house. Adoption of such a system may be simulated by the GM, including adoption by a state prior to the passage of this bill.
7. 6. All gubertorial elections shall take place using States shall shall have the option to select the voting systems shown in the subsections below an instant-runoff voting/ranked-choice voting system..
6a. Instant-runoff voting/Ranked-choice voting
6b. Two-round system/Runoff voting
6c. Approval voting
6d. Borda count
6e. Condorcet method
6f. Exhaustive ballot
6g. Score voting
6h. First-past-the-post voting


8. 7. All mayoral elections shall take place using Cities shall shall have the option to select the voting systems shown in the subsections below an instant-runoff voting/ranked-choice voting system..
7a. Instant-runoff voting/Ranked-choice voting
7b. Two-round system/Runoff voting
7c. Approval voting
7d. Borda count
7e. Condorcet method
7f. Exhaustive ballot
7g. Score voting
7h. First-past-the-post voting


III. Redistricting


1. Redistricting shall consist of a commission of leaders from each party in the state legislature, as well as 5 citizens.
2. The commission must create a map that prioritizes one of these two goals: maximizing the competitiveness of districts or drawing districts proportional to partisanship
3. In areas where there is a high minority population, and it is possible to draw a seat where the voting age population of a minority coalition is greater than 50%, or where the voting age population of a specific minority group that seat must be drawn by the commission.
3a. Minority groups shall be defined as American Indian, Asians, Hispanics, and African-Americans.
4. In areas where it is possible to draw a seat as described in Section 3, Clause 1, but with a minority coalition or individual minority group population of above 40% of the voting age population, it is recommended that the commission draw that seat
5. For the purposes, of this act, the seats in Section 3 shall be known as Voting Rights Act seat (if it is a majority of a single minority) or a Minority Coalition seat (if they seat is formed by a majority of multiple minority groups)
6. For the purposes, of this act, the seats in Section 4 shall be known as Opportunity Seats
7. Redistricting shall occur every year two years on this calendar (2021, 2023, 2025, 2027, etc.) as well as when necessitated by an election system change.

IV. Implementation

1. This act shall take effect immediately.

For the first session of the General Court.