Northeast Assembly Thread

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Abstain.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Voting time has expired.  The ayes are two, nays are one, with three members abstaining.  The bill is passed.

The Assembly will now consider the legislation introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania.  Debate will be for 48 hours.

Removing That Stupid Parental Advisory Sticker From CDs Act Of 2011

1. The "Parental Advisory: Explicit Content" is hereby removed from CDs sold within the Northeast Region.

2. Instead, CDs with notable explicit content shall have a sticker with "Recommended: 16+, 17+ and 18+" stickers, based on explicitness of content.

3. If a CD has a "Recommended: 18+" sticker on it, identification shall be required in order to purchase the CD.

4. If a CD has a "Recommended: 16+ or 17+" sticker, anyone may buy the CD.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I'm sort of with everyone else on this.  I don't think it ought to be the government's responsibility to tell parents what's vulgar and what isn't by mandating labels, or replacing labels that companies may put on like this bill does.

I just have to ask.. when exactly did the Northeast Assembly change from a place where actual business was conducted, to where we now have to speak in meme to pass bills? It is quite depressing.

I blame the Silly Party.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

The gentleman withdraws his bill.

The Assembly will now consider the legislation introduced by the gentleman from New York.  Debate will be for 48 hours.

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[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I have no objection to this bill.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I introduce the following amendment.

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This way, we will have finally settled the issue and I won't have to reintroduce my constitutional amendment.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

In that case:

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[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

The amendment is adopted.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Debate time has expired.  Members will now cast their votes on passage of the legislation.  This will be a 24-hour vote.

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[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Aye.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Voting time has expired.  The ayes are six, nays are zero, abstentions are zero, and non-voting members: one.  The bill is passed.

The Assembly will now consider the legislation introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania.  Debate will be for 48 hours.

Northeast Tax Reform Act of 2011

Income Tax

1. All individual state income taxes are hereby repealed and replaced with a region-wide 4% flat tax.

Sales Tax

1. All individual state sales taxes are hereby repealed and replaced with a regionwide 6.2% sales tax.

2. A Sales Tax shall not be levied on "essential" living items such as clothing, produce, water, meat, etc.

Cigarette Tax

1. Cigarettes are hereby levied with a 9% tax when purchased.

Alcohol Tax

1. Alcohol is hereby levied with a 14% tax when purchased.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I looked on the wiki to see if this region has established a formal tax code, yet.  I was able to find some already, but they were apparently repealed by the SRC, so as far as I know, the region does not have a real tax code.  However, I must oppose the current proposal.  A flat tax would not curb income inequality and, in fact, would just continue that trend.  Unless the sponsor is willing to change this bill so that tax rates vary by income bracket, I am unable to support it.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

This appears to be the only tax in this region that has not been repealed.  Actually, I'm not even sure if this a 'tax', per se.  Everything else we have that's relevant to the tax code is... deductions.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

What a wonderful state of affairs!  I of course oppose this bill.

I thought you would be behind flat taxes 100%.  Or do you oppose it because it imposes taxes in a region that currently has nothing generating revenue at all?

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Raising taxes is a losing battle the flat tax works and can be considered a return to status quo, something everyone should be qble to at leaswt settle for, for practical purposes.

I suppose I would settle for it, if there's nothing else.  But that, of course, is only because we apparently don't have a tax code in this region.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I would propose my own tax system; can governors propose legislation, or would I need an assemblyman to propose it on my behalf?

And maybe as an alternative, you can propose the legislation as an amendment to the bill being considered?  I don't believe there are any laws against that.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I'm not sure if I'll vote for this or not.  It depends on what Snowstalker proposes and whether or not it gets amended to the bill.  I am not, however, very willing to vote for it in its current form.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

It was a pleasure having you in the Assembly, Jake.  Good luck in the Senate.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Debate time has expired.  Members will now cast their votes on passage of the legislation.  This will be a 24-hour vote.

Northeast Tax Reform Act of 2011

Income Tax

1. All individual state income taxes are hereby repealed and replaced with a region-wide 4% flat tax.

Sales Tax

1. All individual state sales taxes are hereby repealed and replaced with a regionwide 6.2% sales tax.

2. A Sales Tax shall not be levied on "essential" living items such as clothing, produce, water, meat, etc.

Cigarette Tax

1. Cigarettes are hereby levied with a 9% tax when purchased.

Alcohol Tax

1. Alcohol is hereby levied with a 14% tax when purchased.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Nay.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Voting time has expired.  The ayes are one, nays are five, and non-voting members one. abstentions are zero, and non-voting members: one.  The bill fails.

The Assembly will now consider the legislation introduced by the gentleman from Massachusetts.  Debate will be for 48 hours.

The Miscarraige of Justice Prevention Act

1. Jury instructions

Jury instructions in criminal cases with not-guilty pleas from this point on must include the following phrasing:

"Your job, as jurors, is to decide whether the defendant is guilty beyond all reasonable doubt.  This does not mean that you should always convict if you believe the defendant is probably guilty; it means that you should convict only if there is no reasonable possibility that the subject is innocent.  The legal system in the Northeast Region presumes that all defendants are innocent.  You must presume that the defendant in this case is innocent, and ascertain whether the evidence in this case proves the defendant guilty, beyond all reasonable doubt."

2. Conviction percentage as grounds for reward

The Attorney General's office, and the District Attorney's offices, may not use percentage of cases resulting in convictions as a criterion for either promotion or reward.  Violation of this law shall be considered a felony punishable by not less than 5 years in prison and/or a fine of not less than $500,000.

3. Police and government official testimony

Judges must instruct jurors that testimony from police officers or other government officials cannot be considered any more credible than testimony from any other person, as needed.

4. Lineup procedures

a. An officer administering a photo or live lineup array must not know which individual in the lineup is the suspect.

b. All individuals in a lineup must resemble the eyewitness's initial description of the perpetrator, including race, hair color, eye color, facial hair, etc.  The suspect should not be the only individual in the lineup with a certain obvious feature unless unavoidable (for example, a distinctive tattoo or scar).

c. Eyewitnesses may not be shown multiple lineups with the same suspect.

d. The person viewing a lineup must be told that the perpetrator may not be in the lineup and that the investigation will continue regardless of the lineup result. They must also be told not to look to the administrator for guidance.

e. Immediately following the lineup procedure, the eyewitness must provide a statement, in his or her own words, articulating his or her level of confidence in the identification.

f. All lineup procedures must be videotaped.

g. Lineups must be performed sequentially (the eyewitness views each individual one by one) rather than simultaneously (the eyewitness views all individuals in the lineup at once).

h. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to lineup procedures which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

5. Discredited forms of evidence

a. Discredited and pseudoscientific forms of evidence collection, including hair and fiber analysis, bite mark analysis, firearm mark analysis, shoe print comparison, polygraph examinations, and testimony obtained under hypnosis shall be considered inadmissable as evidence in a court of law.

b. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to the discredited forms of evidence listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

6. Serology

a. Before expert testimony regarding serology (blood type analysis), the presiding Judge must instruct the jurors that the victim's and perpetrator's blood may have mixed, possibly yielding a false result as to the perpetrator's blood type, and that millions of different people in the Northeast Region share any given blood type.

b. Experts presenting serology may not provide the jury with statistics about percentages of the population which have certain blood types, given that this testimony has been frequently shown to be inaccurate and there are wide fluctuations in the prevalence of certain blood types between different races, ethnicities, and regions of the country.

c. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to expert testimony involving serology which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

7. Interrogations

a. All interrogations of suspects must be videotaped.

b. Judges must instruct the jury in cases of juveniles or mentally retarded individuals that juveniles and mentally retarded individuals often do not understand their situation and are particularly likely to give false confessions.

c. Suspects who were convicted or pled guilty in substantial part due to interrogations which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

8. Informant testimony

a. Whenever testimony from a prison informant is used, the presiding Judge must instruct the jury that most informant testimony is unreliable as it may be offered in return for deals, special treatment, or the dropping of charges.

b. Prosecutors must reveal any incentive the informant receives, and all communication between prosecutors and informants must be videotaped.

c. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to informant testimony which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

9. New use of DNA evidence

a. All persons convicted in cases where DNA evidence remains but was not presented in the original trial or an appeal are entitled to have DNA testing performed on said evidence.

b. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part in a case where possible DNA evidence existed shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

c. Possible DNA evidence may not be destroyed.  Violation of this law shall be a misdemeanor punishable by not more than 1 year in prison and/or a fine of not more than $25,000.

10. Double jeopardy

a. A suspect must be charged with all charges relating to a specific offense at his or her original trial.  Suspects may not be brought up on new charges relating to the same defense unless prosecutors can reasonably show that they have found new evidence relating to these new charges since the initial trial.

b. Suspects may not be named in both a criminal and a civil suit relating to the same offense.

c. Suspects may not be charged with regional charges relating to a specific offense after having already been charged relating to that offense at the Federal level.

d. Suspects may not be remanded into Federal custody to be charged related to a specific offense after having already been charged relating to that offense at the regional level.  Regional authorities may not assist Federal authorities in investigating or apprehending suspects already charged at the regional level.  Suspects must be placed into anonymous protective custody provided by the region at their request, if they reasonably believe they will be Federally charged related to a specific offense after having already been charged relating to that offense at the regional level.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I support this legislation, and I would like to offer two amendments.

Assuming these aren't illegal, already...

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[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

The amendments are adopted.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Debate time has expired.  Members will now cast their votes on passage of the legislation.  This will be a 24-hour vote.

The Miscarraige of Justice Prevention Act

1. Jury instructions

Jury instructions in criminal cases with not-guilty pleas from this point on must include the following phrasing:

"Your job, as jurors, is to decide whether the defendant is guilty beyond all reasonable doubt.  This does not mean that you should always convict if you believe the defendant is probably guilty; it means that you should convict only if there is no reasonable possibility that the subject is innocent.  The legal system in the Northeast Region presumes that all defendants are innocent.  You must presume that the defendant in this case is innocent, and ascertain whether the evidence in this case proves the defendant guilty, beyond all reasonable doubt."

2. Conviction percentage as grounds for reward

The Attorney General's office, and the District Attorney's offices, may not use percentage of cases resulting in convictions as a criterion for either promotion or reward.  Violation of this law shall be considered a felony punishable by not less than 5 years in prison and/or a fine of not less than $500,000.

3. Police and government official testimony

Judges must instruct jurors that testimony from police officers or other government officials cannot be considered any more credible than testimony from any other person, as needed.

4. Lineup procedures

a. An officer administering a photo or live lineup array must not know which individual in the lineup is the suspect.

b. All individuals in a lineup must resemble the eyewitness's initial description of the perpetrator, including race, hair color, eye color, facial hair, etc.  The suspect should not be the only individual in the lineup with a certain obvious feature unless unavoidable (for example, a distinctive tattoo or scar).

c. Eyewitnesses may not be shown multiple lineups with the same suspect.

d. The person viewing a lineup must be told that the perpetrator may not be in the lineup and that the investigation will continue regardless of the lineup result. They must also be told not to look to the administrator for guidance.

e. Immediately following the lineup procedure, the eyewitness must provide a statement, in his or her own words, articulating his or her level of confidence in the identification.

f. All lineup procedures must be videotaped.

g. Lineups must be performed sequentially (the eyewitness views each individual one by one) rather than simultaneously (the eyewitness views all individuals in the lineup at once).

h. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to lineup procedures which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

5. Discredited forms of evidence

a. Discredited and pseudoscientific forms of evidence collection, including hair and fiber analysis, bite mark analysis, firearm mark analysis, shoe print comparison, polygraph examinations, and testimony obtained under hypnosis shall be considered inadmissable as evidence in a court of law.

b. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to the discredited forms of evidence listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

6. Serology

a. Before expert testimony regarding serology (blood type analysis), the presiding Judge must instruct the jurors that the victim's and perpetrator's blood may have mixed, possibly yielding a false result as to the perpetrator's blood type, and that millions of different people in the Northeast Region share any given blood type.

b. Experts presenting serology may not provide the jury with statistics about percentages of the population which have certain blood types, given that this testimony has been frequently shown to be inaccurate and there are wide fluctuations in the prevalence of certain blood types between different races, ethnicities, and regions of the country.

c. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to expert testimony involving serology which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

7. Interrogations

a. All interrogations of suspects must be videotaped.

b. Judges must instruct the jury in cases of juveniles or mentally retarded individuals that juveniles and mentally retarded individuals often do not understand their situation and are particularly likely to give false confessions.

c. Suspects who were convicted or pled guilty in substantial part due to interrogations which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

8. Informant testimony

a. Whenever testimony from a prison informant is used, the presiding Judge must instruct the jury that most informant testimony is unreliable as it may be offered in return for deals, special treatment, or the dropping of charges.

b. Prosecutors must reveal any incentive the informant receives, and all communication between prosecutors and informants must be videotaped.

c. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part due to informant testimony which did not follow the rules of conduct listed above shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

9. New use of DNA evidence

a. All persons convicted in cases where DNA evidence remains but was not presented in the original trial or an appeal are entitled to have DNA testing performed on said evidence.

b. Suspects who were convicted in substantial part in a case where possible DNA evidence existed shall be entitled to appeal their case on those grounds, even if they already have prior to the passage of this law.

c. Possible DNA evidence may not be destroyed.  Violation of this law shall be a misdemeanor punishable by not more than 1 year in prison and/or a fine of not more than $25,000.

10. Double jeopardy

a. A suspect must be charged with all charges relating to a specific offense at his or her original trial.  Suspects may not be brought up on new charges relating to the same defense unless prosecutors can reasonably show that they have found new evidence relating to these new charges since the initial trial.

b. Suspects may not be named in both a criminal and a civil suit relating to the same offense.

c. Suspects may not be charged with regional charges relating to a specific offense after having already been charged relating to that offense at the Federal level.

d. Suspects may not be remanded into Federal custody to be charged related to a specific offense after having already been charged relating to that offense at the regional level.  Regional authorities may not assist Federal authorities in investigating or apprehending suspects already charged at the regional level.  Suspects must be placed into anonymous protective custody provided by the region at their request, if they reasonably believe they will be Federally charged related to a specific offense after having already been charged relating to that offense at the regional level.

11. Entrapment

a. Public officials may not coerce a person to commit a crime that they would have otherwise been unlikely to admit.

b. Depending on the law in the jurisdiction, the prosecution will be required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was not entrapped or the defendant may be required to prove that he was entrapped as an affirmative defense.

12. Bribery

a. Gifts may not be bestowed to police officers or government officials to influence their charge in the act of a public or legal duty.  Gifts include money, goods, property, objects of value, advantages, or privileges.

b. Public officials may not request or solicit for bribes in legal cases.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Aye.