Mideast Assembly Thread

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Seeing no objection, the request is granted, and Inks.LWC is elected Speaker.

Members may now begin introducing legislation.

forty seconds of no one objecting qualifies as unanimous consent?   

That's how we've always done it in the past when there's only been one nominee.  Nominations were open for over 24 hours, and everybody's been online.  Although if somebody really wanted to nominate someone else, we can revote.

[The Simpsons Cinematic Universe]

No objection here.

[Njall]

No objection here.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

OK, then I think it's pretty clear that we can move on.  Let the legislating begin!

[ZuWo]

Abstain votes aren't Nay votes

Article VI, Section 1, Clause 1 of the Mideast Constitution shall be amended to read:

The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, the Assembly, or a group of at least 25% of the registered voters in the Mideast shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of this Constitution when ratified by a two-thirds majority of the People voting; abstaining votes shall be omitted from the count.

[ZuWo]

I introduce the following constitutional amendment, which is based on an idea by a Mideast citizen (it's a blend of the Northeast Amendment to the Vacancy Filling Act and my own considerations):

Mideast Assembly Vacancy Act

Article III, Section 1, Clause 6 of the Mideast Constitution shall be amended to read:

1. In the case of a vacancy in the Mideast Assembly, a special election shall be held to elect a new member of the Assembly.

2. The special election must take place within 9 days following the vacancy. The voting booth shall open at 0001 Eastern Standard Time on a Friday and close exactly 72 hours later. The election shall be administered by the Governor.

3. In order to be a candidate on the ballot, a candidate must declare their candidacy on the Candidate Declaration Thread at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of the election.

4. Any candidate who receives write-in votes must confirm that he or she is willing to assume the vacancy by publicly declaring a willingness to receive write-in votes at least 24 hours before the commencement of the election in the Candidate Declaration Thread. Otherwise, those write-in votes shall be deemed void.

[ZuWo]

Admission of Ontario and Nunavut Act

The Mideast Assembly does hereby consent to having the territories of Ontario and Nunavut granted unto this region as determined by the Atlasia Senate via the Atlasia-Canada Common Market Agreement.

Text of the Atlasia-Canada Common Market Agreement: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=174563.0

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I'm going to try to re-introduce this:

Mideast Environmental Protection Incentives Act

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[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

MLK Day Act

Martin Luther King Jr. Day shall be a public holiday for the Mideast Region, to be celebrated on January 15 of each year.

[ZuWo]

Amendment to the Underaged Labor Guidelines of 2012 Act

1. If a company, business or corporation based in Mideast Region hires an employee under the age of 18 (eighteen) they must adhere to the following guidelines:

- The employee may not work more than 25 hours a week and no more than 5 hours a day.

-The employee may not work after 9 10 PM local time.

-The employee must be paid no less than 60% of the statewide minimum wage.

-The employee is entitled to the same benefits, be it health or otherwise, that any normal tenured employee is entitled to.

-The employee must work in appropriate working conditions, meaning they may not operate heavy machinery or any other type of dangerous machinery.

-Only those ages 17 16 and up may handle food products in the workplace.

2. If a company, business or corporation is found to be not adhering to these guidelines, they may be subject to a $1,500 (one thousand, five hundred) fine.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Mideast Animal Welfare Act

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Mideast Can and Bottle Return Act

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[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

The Mideast Mass Transit Reform Act

1.The Mideast Region shall establish the Mideast Transit Projects Fund (MTPF) that shall provide grants in order to assist municipalities and metropolitan areas in the establishment and improvement of mass transit systems. 

2. Eligible mass transit proposals may include light rail, street car, metro, and bus rapid transit systems, as well as bus routes. Other systems of an innovative nature may also be eligible.

3.These grants shall be distributed according to considerations to include:
  a. improved accessibility and reliability of mass transit in connectivity to the general public and employment locations
  b. serving needs in a way that is relatively equitable geographically and with particular attention to the needs of the poor and under-served.
  c. cost-effectiveness and financial responsibility
  d. environmental sustainability and energy efficiency
  e. enhancements in aesthetic quality and user-friendliness
  f. minimization of the use of eminent domain toward homes and small businesses

4. $5 billion per year shall be allocated toward MTPF capital investments in fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15.  This shall be funded by reducing the annual allocation to High Speed Rail for these years by an equivalent amount and extending the remaining funding into the following year. 

5. An additional $500 million shall be allocated in the annual budget toward the funding the operation of these investments where necessary.

6. Electric utility companies shall be allowed to invest in the development and operation of electric-based mass transit in the Mideast to the extent permitted under federal law.

7. $100 million shall be added to the annual budget to improve freight rail in ways that encourage lessening of the contribution of freight to road congestion.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Mideast Official Folk Song Act

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[Oldiesfreak1854]

Police Surveillance Act

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[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

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[Oldiesfreak1854]

Mideast Abortion Sex Protection Act

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Mideast Equal Opportunity Act

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[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

As all but one of us is now sworn in, I'll open nominations for Speaker of the Assembly.  Nominations will be open for 24 hours.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Allocution of funds from Pacific Crises Stimulus Fund Act
1. Three Billon Dollars is specified for the purpose of improving rail stations for regional mass transit.
   A. Contracts are to be offered to non-union and union rail infrastructure workers
   B. The following cities are considered for this phase of improvements
        1. Baltimore Maryland
        2. Richmond Virginia
        3. Charleston West Virginia
        4. Columbus Ohio
        5. Cleveland Ohio
        6. Indianapolis Indiana
        7. Chicago Illinois
        8. St. Louis Missouri
        9. Kansas City, Missouri

2. Seven Billion Dollars are to be specifically utilized in the form of various tax cuts and credits as the Assembly and Governor shall decide or designated for the Rainy Day Fund

         

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I hereby nominate Inks.LWC for another term as Speaker.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I hereby nominate Inks.LWC for another term as Speaker.

I accept the nomination.  Seeing as no other nominations have been made, I ask unanimous consent that Inks.LWC be elected Speaker.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Seeing no objections, Inks.LWC is elected Speaker of the Assembly.

[Anna Komnene]

Recognizing Language Diversity Act

1. Recognizing the importance of linguistic and cultural diversity within the Mideast region, public elementary and secondary schools are hereby required to offer classes in at least two foreign languages.  One of these foreign languages must be Spanish while the second foreign language may be determined by state and local policy.

2. Elementary and secondary schools offering classes in two or more foreign languages may request aid from the Mideast Department of Education.  Upon receiving a written request, the Mideast Department of Education is required to grant support to the school in question to help cover the costs of at least two but no more than three foreign languages. Schools which receive support by the Mideast Department of Education are required to use all funding and/or logistic help for the purposes designed in Section 1 of this Act.

[Senator Spiral]

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[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Police Surveillance Act

1. All police vehicles in the Mideast region must be fitted with high-definition cameras to be used for surveillance purposes.
2. Attorneys representing those depicted in the resulting video shall have access to such video, including the entire encounter and all other relevant footage. Police departments may charge a reasonable processing fee in order to fulfill such requests.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Resolution to Save Our Regions

WHEREAS, some members of the federal government are currently debating reducing the number of regions from five to three or four; and

WHEREAS, having five regions, with the boundaries as they currently stand, has played a large roll in the way that this nation has been run for several years; and

WHEREAS, the reduction of the number of Atlasia's regions is an overreaction to a problem that does not concern the entire nation; and

WHEREAS, key citizens and government officials who have been part of this nation for several years have expressed that a change in Atlasia's regions would make the game less appealing;

BE IT RESOLVED, that we strongly urge the federal government not to attempt to alter the number of regions or regional boundaries in any way at this time.