Southeast Initiatives for November

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Initiative 92: Constitutional Amendment Process Initiative

Article IV of the Southeast Constitution states:  "To amend this document, a Southeastern citizen must introduce a Constitutional Amendment pursuant to Article II, Clause I. ... The amendment must gain 2/3rds of voters that cast a ballot in that month's election to be placed into law."  The purpose of this initiative is to amend Section 3 of Article VI to make an exemption for voters who cast a ballot and abstain on the constitutional amendment.

1. Section 3 of Article IV of the Southeast Constitution is modified to read:
"The amendment shall not become law unless approved by two-thirds of those voting (excluding abstentions)."


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Initiative 93: Disbanding of Forum Elite Conspiracy Research Committe Initiative

The purpose of this initiative is to disband the Forum Elite Conspiracy Research Initiative that was formed as per the passage of Initiative 59.

1. The "Forum Elite Conspiracy Research Committee," as was established by Southeast Initiative 59, will disband immediately upon the passage of this initiative.

2. All reports published by the committee will lose any legal or officially recognized status immediately upon the passage of this initiative.


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Initiative 92: Constitutional Amendment Process Initiative
 voters who cast a ballot and abstain on the constitutional amendment.

1. Section 3 of Article IV of the Southeast Constitution is modified to read:
"The amendment must gain 2/3rds of non-abstaining voters that cast a ballot in that month's election to be placed into law."

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You need to add "abstain on the constitutional amendment" into the text of the bill, otherwise it could be argued that abstaining on any vote on the ballot for the month could make a voter an "abstaining voter," and if you look at the last SE election, it seems most everybody abstained on something. That said, I'm still not crazy about it- it should take 2/3 of voters, not just voters who care one way or the other. But I'll continue to think about it...

I edited the initiative, what do you think?

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I'll sign #93. But since I crafted #92 specifically to include that provision , no dice.

Jake, the simple fact is that 60% of our region voted in favor of an initiative and only 25% voted against it.  Why did the three people that abstained have their votes counted as "nays"?  That just is not fair, to both those voters and to the region at large.  Abstentions should not count as either yeas or nays in constitutional amendment votes.

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Yeah!  I sign, X Ebowed.

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BTW, TCash, I'll be willing to help with the Southeast Government website if you're not sure what to do- I do need to update all of the latest initiative pages and such sometime soon.

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Oh yeah, Inits 83 and 91 will have revotes next month due to tied results this month.

Initiative 96: Abortion Restriction Initiative

1. Prohibition

It shall be against the law to induce an abortion in the Southeast Region except in the case of a severe threat to the mother's life.

2. Responsibility

Any individual who induces a prohibited abortion shall have any existing licence from the Southeast Region or a subdivision thereof to practice a medical profession revoked and shall be permanently barred from the same.

3. Penalties

Any individual who induces a prohibited abortion shall be sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison or a maxium of twenty years in prison. Any person knowingly facilitating the inducement of a prohibited abortion shall be subject to a criminal fine of $500,000.

4. Repealed Legislation

The Abortion Initiative is hereby repealed.


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Initiative 94 (Lottery Commissioner Accountability Initiative) needs two more signatures to be placed on the ballot also.

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X Ebowed on all three

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X Ebowed to get it on the ballot... but I'm not sure I'll vote for that one.

OK, not completely necessary, since the death penalty is nearly gone all but officially from our region, but just to bug the voters about it one last time

Initiative 101: Complete Abolition of Capital Punishment Initiative

1. All methods of capital punishment are abolished in the Southeast region.

2. In replacement of capital punishment, the following methods of punishment may be used.

A. Forty years in prison without the possibility of parole.

B. Forty years in prison with hard labor.

C. Life in prison without the possibility of parole.

D. Life in prison with hard labor.

E. Life in prison with solitary confinement four days out of every week ("week" defined as seven days).

3. If there are any persons sentenced to death in the region upon the passage of this initiative, they shall be commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

4. Prison cells used for "Death Row" inmates shall be converted to extra space in the prisons for other offenders.  A Death Penalty Abolition Commissioner shall be appointed by the Governor to oversee this process; should this office lie vacant, its duties fall to the Lt. Governor.


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What is the status of cocaine criminalization laws in the Southeast?

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I'm pretty sure pot is legal in the Southeast (with a heavy tax)... but I may be wrong.

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X Ebowed on Init 95

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What is the status of the legality or illegality (and associated penalties) of prostitution in the Southeast?

X Ebowed on Init 96 to get it on the ballot.

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X Ebowed on Init 97 to get it on the ballot