Southeastern Initiatives for February

[TomC]

I believe that, since the vote in December was tied, we were supposed to have a revote on Initiative 108. Unfortunately, it was missing on this month's ballot (which is fine--no one noticed when the ballot was originally posted), so I'll just re-introduce it:

Abolition of Commissioners Initiative
The offices of Lottery Commissioner, Alcohol Commissioner, Tobacco Commissioner, Hemp and Cannabis Commissioner, and Transportation Commissioner are hereby abolished.

You are correct. My apologies. We will revote in Feb.

I voted for this initiative because we can rarely fill them. In part this is good because many Southeasterners have jobs. I wouldn't mind if it were one spot, but we keep adding them.

By the way, the wiki says that I created these posts and have not filled them. I did not create these posts, and I voted to do away with them. If this hasn't been corrected, I'd appreciate someone with a wiki account correcting it.

https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Southeastern_Regional_Government#Southeastern_Lottery_Commissioner

AND... If any SOutheasterner is interested in serving as Transportation Commissioner, Hemp and Cannabis Commissioner, Lottery Commissioner, Alcohol Commissioner, PLEASE PM me.

[TomC]

OK. I know you put Q as the Hemp and Cannabis Commissioner before be became SoFA. I thought that's when these positions were created.

OK, that may have been created while I was gov, I can't remember for sure, but I did not write the initiative. The other three, I'm pretty sure precede even my activity in Fantasy Politics. I do believe that there is a law that says, now, once I name a new commissioner, that we have to approve at the next initiative election, further complicating the matter. I'm unclear if they can serve in the interim, I'll look it up...

[TomC]

I just learned I can merge the Alcohol, Hemp and Cannabis, and Tobacco Commissioners into one. Any thoughts? Should we wait to see how the initiative revote turm=ns out? Commissioner of Vice? Vice Commissioner? LOL

BTW, most of these were formed in Feb 2005. Includes Hemp and Cannabis. Lottery was the very first initiative in 2004.

[TomC]

Initiative 115

Clarification of "Municipality" Initiative

For the purposes of Southeast initiatives and regulations, the term "municipality" shall be defined as "locality such as a city, county, town or other geographical and governmental unit within a state." "Municipal" shall be defined as referring to a municipality. "Municipal" and "municipality" shall not be synonymous with the word "state" unless a state and municipality are decreed one and the same by an act of regional law.

[TomC]

I don't believe he can at this point. Due to the tie and SE law, we should revote. He is certainly able to offer voter advice on his and yours, though.

[TomC]

And actually, I don't believe Emsworth can withdraw because he's not a SE citizen anymore.

[TomC]

Local Government Initiative



3. Each Assembly will be organized around the initiative process laid out in Article II, Section I of the Southeast Constitution with the following modifications:

1. The Citizens of the [insert state name here] shall have the right to petition their government to gain access to the ballot for any issue. Such a petition shall have at least one signature of registered voter of the aforementioned state in order to be added to the ballot at the next Initiative election. Initiative elections should be held on the third weekend of each month beginning within 12 hours after midnight Central time on Friday morning and ending at 11:59pm Central time on the following Sunday night. Initiatives that receive a tie vote shall be voted upon again in the next Initiative election without the need to be reproposed. Every initiative shall relate to but one subject, and that shall be expressed in the title.-

4. Any amendments made to the Southeast Constitution regarding the time the Regional Initiative Election is held shall be adopted to amend this initiative automatically.


-Jake

Help me understand why this isn't a Constitutional Amendment. Federal and regional empowerments of the same nature must be placed in the constitution. How is it this doesn't rise to that level? We would be creating law making bodies without placement in the Constitution? I like this idea, but it needs to be placed in ur constitution, not a simple initiative.

[TomC]

Safe Abortion Initiative

1. All legal abortions preformed under Southeastern law must occur in a licensed facility under the supervision of a licensed medical doctor.

2. A medical facility may apply for status as a licensed abortion provider by submitting to a safety inspection based on the health code in the state in which they are located and by purchasing a license for $10,000.

3. Any sections of state, local, or regional statute that is inconsistent with Sections 1 and 2 are hereby repealed.

4. Any abortion preformed outside a licensed facility and without the supervision of a licensed medical doctor are hereby declared illegal and are subject to the penalties laid out in The Abortion Initiative.

Local Government Initiative

1. States of the Southeast Region which consist of two or more registered voters may form a State Assembly.

2. The Assembly will consist of all registered voters of the state and will have authority to vote upon those issues which the Southeast Region specifically grants to them by the initiative process.

3. Each Assembly will be organized around the initiative process laid out in Article II, Section I of the Southeast Constitution with the following modifications:

1. The Citizens of the [insert state name here] shall have the right to petition their government to gain access to the ballot for any issue. Such a petition shall have at least one signature of registered voter of the aforementioned state in order to be added to the ballot at the next Initiative election. Initiative elections should be held on the third weekend of each month beginning within 12 hours after midnight Central time on Friday morning and ending at 11:59pm Central time on the following Sunday night. Initiatives that receive a tie vote shall be voted upon again in the next Initiative election without the need to be reproposed. Every initiative shall relate to but one subject, and that shall be expressed in the title.-

As is, according to the Constitution, there must be three signatures. Either, you are asking for the Southeast government to allow an initiative with less than what is required, or you have neglected to spell out who is responsible for setting up a state booth. I don't see where you have that authority, beyond adapting our constitution.

[TomC]

Local Government Initiative

1. States of the Southeast Region which consist of two or more registered voters may form a State Assembly.

2. The Assembly will consist of all registered voters of the state and will have authority to vote upon those issues which the Southeast Region specifically grants to them by the initiative process.

3. Each Assembly will be organized around the initiative process laid out in Article II, Section I of the Southeast Constitution with the following modifications:

1. The Citizens of the [insert state name here] shall have the right to petition their government to gain access to the ballot for any issue. Such a petition shall have at least one signature of registered voter of the aforementioned state in order to be added to the ballot at the next Initiative election. Initiative elections should be held on the third weekend of each month beginning within 12 hours after midnight Central time on Friday morning and ending at 11:59pm Central time on the following Sunday night. Initiatives that receive a tie vote shall be voted upon again in the next Initiative election without the need to be reproposed. Every initiative shall relate to but one subject, and that shall be expressed in the title.-

Alright, I've bolded a third part, above. You call to the authority of the SE regional government's constitution, yet you wish to change the number of signatures required. That requires a constitutional amendment.

Whose ballot is this going to be on- the SE's? Who is going to place the initiative on the ballot? The governor? (A major question you have neglected to answer in your bill.) If yes, you are stretching the COnstitutional limits of the SE government. If no, why is it that to create an initiative process, the SE must have a Constitutional provision, yet a "state" does not? Makes no sense that you can create local governments with the mere force of an initiative when every existing level of government has a constitution to empower it to do the things you wish for your state to then do.

[TomC]

Alright, I've bolded a third part, above.

Good. That is what acts as the rules that bind a state's lawmaking.

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Indeed

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Whomever conducts the electoral process in the SE. Traditionally the Governor, but I wouldn't be surprised if a private citizen conducts the election again.

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I'll amend it to address your concerns over this, refrencing Sections 1, 2, and 6 off the Voting Regs should address this concern (which is divorced from your original claim BTW).

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A state assembly is bound by the later part of Section II. There is no need for the establishment of a Constitution, as the region is governed by the Constitution and the region is granting certain powers under that Constitution to the states.

So, you wish to use the constitution of the Southeast to set up an initiative process for a group of citizens. No one in the Southeast government, besides the governor, has the authority to place initiatives on the ballot without three signatures. And the governor may only place his own on the ballot without any other signatures. And that would only work in this state referendum process for the state the governor is registered in. For the Southeast government to place an initiative on the  ballot without three signatures, the Constitution would need to be amended.