SB 109-10: Federal ANWR Territorial Integrity Act (Tabled)

[Joseph Cao]

All right, let's turn the attacks down a little, shall we? I like a warm climate as much as some of y'all do but this is getting rather heated.

West Midlander's attempt to wave the bloody Truman shirt is pathetic. This bill has nothing to do with Kansas, and screaming TRAITOR is not going to give more credibility to the centralist, anti-Frémont position. Oh and by the way: WD has been a much more productive legislator than you will ever be.

I'm willing to accept this is intended as a separate observation to the rest of your post but Westy did not in fact bring up Kansas in the first place. This line of attack is still not something I can bring myself to care about either way, however.

Abstain for that reason, this will presumably work itself out without me.

[Joseph Cao]

How much is Fremont paying the federal government to obtain ANWR? It seems like if we are going to ban all productive use of the land at Fremont's request and also let Fremont exercise dominion over the land we might as well just sell it to them. Then yall can keep it as a valueless snowball without having to worry about federal policy changing.

Its 30,136 mi² of prime oil lands with estimates of between 4.3 and 11.8 billion barrels with a mean value of 7.7 billion barrels. At roughly $115 per barrel, that means the oil is roughly worth $885.5 Billion and if we are generous and assume only $100 per acre for 19,287,040 acres thats $1,928,704,000. So agreeing to forego the oil AND transfer the land to Fremont costs the federal government around $887 Billion.

Is Fremont willing to pay that to the federal government? If we are really nice we can give u a 5 year payment plan interest free and yall would only have to pay $177.4 Billion per year for 5 years. That would atleast help pay for the Great Welfare Act that blew out the budget. I think thats fair since the South intends to bid on the TVA at auction rather than receiving it as a free gift even though its worth less than ANWR.

I think the compromise that WM proposed addresses this problem.

Stressing once again that the issue isn't so much who owns the land but rather how/if the land is conserved. I'm fine with co-ownership provided that one party can't unilaterally lease the land to oil and gas companies.

Im fine with that arrangement if yall pay half the value of the oil and land. This is a near trillion dollar special favor Fremont is asking for. How much can Fremont pay?

Has drilling in the ANWR ever been on the table in-game? My understanding is that neither the regional nor federal government has ever issued any leases for drilling - and what this bill does is strengthen protections. The OTL Trump tax cuts allowed for drilling in the ANWR until the Biden administration put a stop to it.

But FT doesn't pay the federal government to not allow drilling there anymore than the South pays (to my knowledge at least) to not have the Everglades drilled. We wouldn't allow similar activity in the Grand Canyon or in the Ozarks or in Lincoln's Pine Creek Gorge for the same reasons.

And needless to say, energy is a staple industry of Alaska's economy. We're not trying to ban all drilling in the state, only to protect lands where drilling has historically been prohibited.

Seems like the principal action taken has been to block off drilling in the ANWR.

One of the Blair bills from a little while back already blocked federal permission for drilling. I think that already covers Section 3. One of the Speaker OBD bills also blocked regional permission for the same.

[Joseph Cao]

I believe the sponsorship vote can be closed. Will compile a vote tally and close it if that's alright with Scott.

[Joseph Cao]

Vote on WD sponsoring:

Lincoln: Beesley – Not voting
Northeast: AGA – Aye
Great Lakes: Cao – Abstain

Frémont: Kuumo – Not voting
Mountain West: AFE – Aye
Pacific: Western Democrat – Aye

South: Mr. R – Aye
Upper South: Yankee – Abstain
Deep South: Muad'dib – Abstain

STV1: MB – Aye
STV2: Weatherboy – Aye
STV3: Deadprez – Not voting
STV4: West_Midlander – Present
STV5: Sestak – Aye
STV6: OSR – Not voting
STV7: Blairite – Not voting
STV8: Adam – Not voting
STV9: Liam – Not voting

With 7 ayes, 0 nays, 3 abstentions, and 8 present or not voting, WD is recognized as sponsor.

Scott's withdrawal of sponsorship will be recognized if no objections are made within 24 hours.

[Joseph Cao]

As Scott's sponsorship has been withdrawn, WD is currently the sole sponsor.

[Joseph Cao]

I hate to just table legislation off the bat but seeing that Section 3 is pretty much redundant and it seems odd to just pass a resolution declaring the ANWR under Frémontian control (not that there are any other groups with designs on it that I know of), motion to table. Unless WD by some miracle or divine manifestation or whatever sees this and decides to withdraw his sponsorship as well…

Edit: Scott seems to feel similarly about the regional equivalent. Feeling marginally better about this.

[Joseph Cao]

If no one else assumes sponsorship this will be tabled in 72 hours.

[Joseph Cao]

Ah what the heck.

Since WB has objected we will move to a vote on AFE as sponsor, so Scott can hold off on changing the thread title for a little longer now that it's relevant again.

Senators have 96 hours to vote or until we have a quorum, whichever comes first. Please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

[Joseph Cao]

Aye.

Aye if I can be cosponsor.

This is officially the strangest game of pass the parcel I have ever seen.

24 hours to object to Mr R cosponsoring.

[Joseph Cao]

Mr. R is recognized as cosponsor.

[Joseph Cao]

Going to go ahead and give 24 hours to object to the amendment.

Lincoln: Vacant
Northeast: AGA – Abstain
Great Lakes: Cao – Aye

Frémont: Kuumo – Aye
Mountain West: AFE – Not voting
Pacific: Western Democrat – Not voting

South: Mr. R – Aye
Upper South: Yankee – Aye
Deep South: Muad'dib – Not voting

STV1: MB – Aye
STV2: Weatherboy – Abstain
STV3: Deadprez – Abstain
STV4: West_Midlander – Aye
STV5: Sestak – Not voting
STV6: OSR – Not voting
STV7: Blairite – Abstain
STV8: Adam – Abstain
STV9: Liam – Abstain

By a vote of 6-0-6-6, AFE is recognized as sponsor.

[Joseph Cao]

Whew.

Correct me if I'm wrong but under any reasonable iteration of this plan Frémont would be paying the lion's share anyway, simply by virtue of having more energy reserves in general but more relevantly having more of them on federal territory? It wouldn't be "fair" no matter how many other regions' federal lands are put on the table (and there are obviously plenty of Frémontian reserves not included in the amendment).

[Joseph Cao]

Anyway, a vote is open on the R amendment:

AN ACT
To protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other cherished lands while raising revenue for federal programs


Be it enacted by the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia assembled;

Section 1. Title

This legislation may be cited as the Federal ANWR Territorial Integrity and National Parks Preservation Act.[/b]

Section 2. PreservationRecognition of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as Frémont territory and other federal lands

It shall be policy of the Republic of Atlasia that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is under the joint administration of the Commonwealth of Frémont and the federal Fish and Wildlife Service.

Upon the passage of a Regional law to accept, the government of Atlasia hereby offers the Regional governments the opportunity to purchase the subsurface mineral rights, geothermal rights, and wind energy rights of the following federal lands at the following prices to better protect and preserve the land from development. The federal government shall maintain fee ownership of the land upon or under which the mineral, geothermal, and wind rights being conveyed is located.

A. The Commonwealth of Fremont may purchase all mineral rights in the Alaska National Wilderness Reserve (ANWR) for a purchase price of $530 Billion, which may be paid in five (5) annual payments of $106 Billion until the debt is retired.

B. The Commonwealth of Fremont may purchase all mineral rights in Grand Canyon National Park for a purchase price of $250 Million.

C. Lincoln may purchase all mineral rights in the Great Lakes for a purchase price of $102 Billion total which may be paid in two (2) annual payments of $51 Billion until the debt is retired.

D. The Southern Region may purchase all mineral rights in Everglades National Park for a purchase price of $3.5 Billion.

E. The Southern Region may purchase all geothermal energy rights in Hot Springs National Park for a purchase price of $1 Billion.

F. The Southern Region may purchase all mineral rights and wind energy rights in Biscayne National Park for a purchase price of $500 Million.

G. The Southern Region may purchase all mineral rights and wind energy rights in Dry Tortugas National Park for a purchase price of $500 Million.

H. The Southern Region may purchase all mineral rights and geothermal energy rights in Dry Big Bend National Park for a purchase price of $500 Million.

I. The Southern Region may purchase all mineral rights in Appalachian National Park for a purchase price of $500 Million.

J. The Southern Region may purchase all mineral rights in Mammoth Cave National Park for a purchase price of $100 Million.

K. The Southern Region may purchase all mineral rights in Congaree National Park for a purchase price of $100 Million.

L. The Southern Region may purchase all mineral rights in Guadalupe Mountain National Park for a purchase price of $100 Million.

M. The Southern Region may purchase all mineral rights in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a purchase price of $100 Million.

Section 3. Prohibition on leasing for oil exploration Sale of surplus federal property

Distribution of any federal oil and gas leases for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge shall be prohibited under Federal law.

A. The Southern Region may purchase Mount Weather for a purchase price of $3.5 Billion. An easement shall be reserved over the air rights for radio propagation.

B. The Southern Region may purchase the SSN-785 John Warner and the SSN-795 Hyman G Rickover for a purchase price of $7 Billion.

C. The Southern Region may purchase the Tennessee Valley Authority and all of its assets for a purchase price of $35 Billion, which may be paid in five (5) annual payments of $7 Billion until the debt is retired.

Section 4. Enactment

This act shall take effect ninety (90) days after passage.

This offer shall become valid immediately and remain firm and open through December 31, 2022 at which time it shall it expire.

72 hours to vote, but ideally get your vote in before Thursday evening. Please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

[Joseph Cao]

Abstain. Since we're going forward with this I'd like to have constructive amendments of which this is one – as best as I can tell this system inherently disadvantages Frémont on account of their greater untapped reserves, which is nobody's fault, and several other systems we currently use to source federal revenue are similarly "unfair" to one constituency or another, but given this would essentially maintain the environmental status quo and little else I get why Scott is annoyed about it.

[Joseph Cao]

Closing the vote:

Lincoln: Vacant
Northeast: AGA – Aye
Great Lakes: Cao – Abstain

Frémont: Kuumo – Nay
Mountain West: AFE – Not voting
Pacific: Western Democrat – Nay

South: Mr. R – Aye
Upper South: Yankee – Not voting
Deep South: Muad'dib – Not voting

STV1: MB – Nay
STV2: Weatherboy – Nay
STV3: Deadprez – Aye
STV4: West_Midlander – Aye
STV5: Sestak – Nay
STV6: OSR – Not voting
STV7: Blairite – Nay
STV8: Adam – Not voting
STV9: Liam – Nay

Amendment rejected by a vote of 4-7-1-5. Debate resumes.

[Joseph Cao]

Where are we on this?