Office of Governor of the Northeast

[MAS117]

This thread shall be the thread of the Governor of the Northeastern region. The constitution as well as all laws passed will appear on this thread.

[MAS117]

         

NORTHEAST CONSTITUTION

Preamble

Objects of government. We the people of the Northeast, in order to establish justice, insure tranquility, provide for our mutual defense, promote our common welfare, and secure ourselves our posterity and the blessings of liberty, acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Forum in affording us an opportunity, so favourable to the design; and, imploring Dave's aid and direction in its accomplishment, do agree to form ourselves into a free and independent Region, by the style and title of the Region of the Northeast and do ordain and establish the following Constitution for the government of the same.

Article I

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Section I - Natural rights.  All people are born equally free and independent, and have certain natural, inherent and unalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness.

Section II - Power inherent in people.  All power is inherent in the people; all free governments are founded in their authority and instituted for their benefit; they have therefore an unalienable and indefeasible right to institute government, and to alter, reform, or totally change the same, when their safety and happiness requires it.

Section III - Religious freedom; sects equal; religious tests prohibited; religious teachers.  All individuals have a natural and unalienable right to worship or refrain from worshipping any particular deity according to the dictates of their own consciences, and no person shall be hurt, molested or restrained in that person's liberty or estate for worshipping or refraining to worship any deity in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of that person's own conscience, nor for that person's religious professions or sentiments, provided that that person does not disturb the public peace, nor obstruct others in their religious worship; -- and all persons demeaning themselves peaceably, as good members of the Region, shall be equally under the protection of the laws, and no subordination nor preference of any one sect or denomination to another shall ever be established by law, nor shall any religious test be required as a qualification for any office or trust, nor shall the government have a right to force its citizens to follow any particular religious teachings , under this Region; and all religious societies in this Region, whether incorporated or unincorporated, shall at all times have the exclusive right of electing their public teachers, and contracting with them for their support and maintenance with no interference from the government of the Region.

Section IV - Freedom of speech and publication; libel; truth given in evidence; jury determines law and fact.  Every citizen may freely speak, write and publish sentiments on any subject on the Forum, being responsible for the abuse of this liberty; no laws shall be passed regulating or restraining the freedom of the press; and in prosecutions for any publication respecting the official conduct of people in public capacity, or the qualifications of those who are candidates for the elections of the people, or where the matter published is proper for public information, the truth thereof may be given in evidence, and in all indictments for libels, the jury, after having received the direction of the court, shall have a right to determine, at their discretion, the law and the fact.

Section V - Rights of persons accused.  In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have a right to be heard by the accused and the legal counsel to the accused, or either, at the election of the accused; To demand the nature and cause of the accusation, and have a copy thereof; To be confronted by the witnesses against the accused; To have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in favour of the accused; To have a speedy, public and impartial trial, and, except in trials of impeachment, by a jury of the vicinity. The accused shall not be compelled to furnish or give evidence against himself or herself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, property or privileges, but by judgment of that person's peers or the law of the land.

Section VI  - Discrimination against persons prohibited.  No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, nor be denied the equal protection of the laws, nor be denied the enjoyment of that person's civil rights or be discriminated against in the exercise thereof.

Section VII - Attainder, ex post facto and contract-impairment laws prohibited.  The Legislature shall pass no bill of attainder, ex post facto law, nor law impairing the obligation of contracts, and no attainder shall work corruption of blood nor forfeiture of estate.

Section VIII - Suspension of laws.  The laws shall not be suspended but by the Executive or its authority.

Section IX - Right of petition.  The people have a right at all times in an orderly and peaceable manner to assemble to consult upon the common good, to give instructions to their representatives, and to request, of either department of the government by petition or remonstrance, redress of their wrongs and grievances.

Section X - Right of redress for injuries.  Every person, for an injury inflicted on the person or the person's reputation, property or immunities, shall have remedy by due course of law; and right and justice shall be administered freely and without sale, completely and without denial, promptly and without delay.

Section XI - Trial by jury.  In all civil suits, and in all controversies concerning property, the parties shall have a right to a trial by jury, except in cases where it has heretofore been otherwise practiced; the party claiming the right may be heard by himself or herself and with counsel, or either, at the election of the party.

Section XII - Title of nobility prohibited; tenure of offices. No title of nobility or hereditary distinction, privilege, honour or emolument, shall ever be granted or confirmed, nor shall any office be created, the appointment to which shall be for a longer time than during good behaviour.

Section XIII - Other rights not impaired.  The enumeration of certain rights shall not impair nor deny others retained by the people.


Article II

Distribution of Powers

Section I - Powers distributed.  The powers of this government shall be divided into 3 distinct departments, the legislature, executive and judicial.

Article III

The Roles of the Branches of the Region

Section I - Determination of the Legislature. The body of the Legislature will be composed of those deemed citizens of the Region of the Northeast, a determination made by those of the Legislative while not infringing on rights entailed in this Constitution, Article I.

Section II - Role of the Legislature. The Legislative body will have the right to propose, debate and vote on bills to enact laws, decrees, and amendments to the Constitution within the Legislative House or Legislature. The Right of Impeachment is the exclusive right of the Legislative body; to impeach the Governor requires 2/3 of the vote of the Legislature and just cause.

Section III - Determination of the Executive. The Executive branch will be determined by the majority vote by the people (or Legislature) of the Region every four months. The candidate receiving the most support will be named Governor. However, if there is a tie for first, the following week there will be a Runoff election for the two (or more) tying candidates, but no others. If after a Runoff election if another tie is the result the two candidates must meet and decided for one to concede power or enter in a joint power capacity. The role of Lieutenant Governor is appointed by the Governor and will act as Governor in his or her absence.

Section IV - Role of the Executive. The Executive has the power to make political appointments and to be the official representative of the Region to the rest of Atlas Forum. The Executive has the right to propose, debate and vote on bills, decrees and amendments to the Constitution. In addition the Governor has the ability to veto any or sign into law legislation within ten days, in the absence of any action within ten days the bill will enter law officially.

Section V- The Office of Lieutenant Governor. The Office of Lieutenant Governoris hereby created in the Northeast region. The Office of Lieutenant Governor shall be filled in an election where candidates run as a ticket for there respective offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The Gubernatorial candidate must announce his/her choice for Lieutenant Governor three weeks prior to the election taking place.

In the case that there is a vacancy in the Office of Governor, the Lieutenant Governor will assume the Office of Governor, and he/she will appoint a new Lieutenant Governor for the remainder of the Lieutenant Governor's term. The Lieutenant Governor will serve as President of the Northeastern General Assembly, and will have the authority to call votes and debates on pieces of legislation proposed by the citizens of the Northeast region.

Section VI- The Chief Judicial Officer. The Office of Chief Judicial Officer of the Northeast is hereby created. The Chief Judicial Officer will be styled with the title of Judge. The Judge is appointed by the Governor of the Northeast. The Chief Judicial Officer makes the determination of fact and law in the region. No persons shall hold the positions of Governor and Chief Judicial Officer at the same time, and whereas no persons shall hold the positions of Lieutenant Governor and Chief Judicial Officer at the same time.

[MAS117]

These laws have been passed by the citizens & the legislature of the Northeast, and was signed by Governor MAS117.

§ I. Duration of voting
All elections and referendums conducted shall start at 12:00am Eastern Standard Time on a Friday and last until 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time on a Sunday.

§ II. Opening of the polls
Section I
Polls shall be opened by the Governor of the Northeast between 12:00am Eastern Standard Time and 11:59am Eastern Standard Time on the day appointed for the election to begin.
Section II
In the event that the polls shall not have been opened by 7:00 am Eastern Standard Time on the day appointed for the election to begin, any member of the Atlasian Supreme Court, the Secretary of Forum Affairs or the Lieutenant Governor of the Northeast has the authority to act in the event of the inability of the Governor and they shall be authorized to open the polls and conduct the vote.

§ III. Declaration of Gubernatorial Candidacy
In order to be listed on the ballot, a candidate must have announced an intention to run 7 days before the day appointed for the election to begin. If the candidate has not announced an intention before this deadline and wishes to run, that citizen should have write in candidacy status.

§ IV. Valid Votes
Section I
(a) A voter's ballot is valid only if the voter -
   (1) is registered with the Atlasian Secretary of Forum Affairs as a voter of a Northeastern state 7 days prior to the day appointed for the election to begin;
   (2) and does not edit or delete a post after the next post has been made.
(b) Posts made by an election official in an election thread to administer that election must be separate from a post used to cast that official's ballot and does not count as posts for the purposes of subsection (a).

§ 5. Method of Voting
(a) In all gubernatorial elections, plurality voting shall be used with voters listing a single candidate that is on the ballot as their favored choice.
(b)  In referendums and confirmation votes, voters shall vote either yes or no or a yea or nay.

§ 6. Counting of Ballots
As soon as possible after a vote has concluded, an official count shall be posted in the same thread as the vote by the official conducting the vote.  Any attempts to vote that are disallowed shall be listed in that same post along with the reason for the disallowal. In the event that that two or more candidates shall have received the largest number of approvals in a non-runoff gubernatorial election, then a runoff shall be held in a separate thread.

§ 7. Contesting of a Ballot or Election
Only a person who voted or attempted to vote in an election has standing to dispute the determination of the official conducting that vote. The Lieutenant Governor of the Northeast acting as the Chief Judicial Officer of the region shall make a determination of both fact and law. Appeals to the Supreme Court of Atlasia are allowed only if there is a question of federal law involved.

§ 8. The Lieutenant Governor as Chief Judicial Officer
Article II, Section II of the Northeastern Constitution is hearby ratified to: The Lieutenant Governor of the Northeast shall act as the successor to the Governor in his absence, as well as the Chief Judicial Officer of the region. In the case that there is a vacancy in the Office of Governor, the Lieutenant Governor will assume the role as Governor, and he will appoint a new Lieutenant Governor who will serve Chief Judicial Officer. No person may hold the title of Governor and Chief Judicial Officer at the same time.

[MAS117]

This bill was passed by the citizens & the legislature of the Northeast, and was signed by Governor MAS117.

Northeastern National Guard Act[/u]
Proposed by Governor MAS117[/size]

§ I. Calling Out the Guard
The Governor of the Northeastern region or the Regional Assembly has the authority to call up and use the Northeastern National Guard. For the Assembly to call out the Northeastern National Guard their must be a two thirds majority in favor of calling out the guard in order for the order to be valid. In the case of a vacany in the office of Governor of the Northeast, the Lieutenant Governor will take control of the guard, upon his oath of office (see Article III, Section III of the Northeast Constitution).

§ II. Death to soliders
The family of any solider who dies while on active duty in the Northeastern National Guard shall receive a compensation from the Government of the Northeast of $20,000 dollars each year over 5 years, to total to $100,000 dollars.

§ III. The Commander of the Guard
The Northeastern National Guard shall be commanded by a person with the position and title of the Adjutant General. The Adjutant General shall report directly to the Commander-in-Chief (Governor of the Northeast). The Adjutant General is appointed by the Governor of the Northeast, and shall remain in his/her post until asked to resign by the Commander-in-Chief. The Adjutant General must be the rank or Major General or higher, and already a member of the Northeastern National Guard.

§ IV. Splitting of the Guard
The guard should be split into two seperate sections. The Northeastern Army National Guard, and the Northeastern Air National Guard. The Adjutant General shall command both of these sections, and can be from either the Army National Guard, or the Air National Guard. The Atlasian Coast Guard will control the waters of the Northeast region, along with help from the individual State Polices.

§ V. Tours of Duty
Any person who enlists in the Northeastern National Guard, shall serve one tour of duty, consisting of two years, with the option to re-enlist for more tours of duty.

§ VI. National Guard Salaries
The salary of the Northeastern National Guard will be set by the assembly and will be subject to review every year at which time the assembly may vote to either raise, lower or stabilize the current salary of the members of the Guard.

[MAS117]

This bill was passed by the citizens & the legislature of the Northeast, and was signed by Governor Andrew Berger.

The March 2005 Tax Initiative

Income Tax
§ I.  All individual state income taxes are hereby repealed and replaced with a regionwide 5.5% flat tax.

Sales Tax
§ II. All individual state sales taxes are hereby repealed and replaced with a regionwide 7.1% sales tax.

[MAS117]

This bill was passed by the citizens & the legislature of the Northeast, and was signed by Governor Andrew Berger.

Northeast Concealed Carry Act
Proposed by Senator Colin Wixted

§ I. Any citizen of the Northeast region who has completed a safety course on gun use may apply for a license to conceal and carry a handgun on their person in public areas. These licenses must be renewed every 5 years.

§ II. The Governor may enter into reciprocity agreement with other regions regarding concealed carry of handguns. If such an agreement is entered, concealed carry licenses issued by such regions shall be considered valid in the Northeast region.

§ III. Any citizen of another region with which the Northeast region does not have a reciprocity agreement, may apply for a conceal carry license in the Northeast region. All rules for Northeast citizens regarding these licenses shall apply.

§ IV. Any person who has been convicted of a violent crime or robbery may not receive a licence unless they have committed no crimes above a misdemeanour for five years in a row after having served their sentence and

A - having been legally employed for at least two years
B - having been married to someone meeting the requirements of A.
or
C - being above the legally defined retirement age.

at the time of application.

§ V. The cost of application and renewal of a license shall be $50. This money will go to maintaining the infrastructure to carry out applications and to pay for FBI background checks.

§ VI. Concealed carry of handguns may be disallowed in government owned buildings, including but not limited to court houses and schools. The policy for each building or building type may be determined by the government responsible for the building, be it federal, regional, state, or local.

§ VII. Private property owners may disallow concealed carry on their own property.

[MAS117]

This bill was passed by the citizens & the legislature of the Northeast, and was signed by Governor MAS117.

Northeast Pornography and Age of Consent Act Vote[/b]
Proposed by LiberalPA

**Note: Governor MAS117 excerised the Line Item Veto and vetoed Section II, Clause I which is not shown here.

§ I. Right to Pornography

All those persons of 16 years of age or older not incarcerated for crimes shall have the right to buy, possess and view pornography depicting only persons of 18 years of age or older.

§ II. Right to Engage In Sexual Relations

All those laws outlawing particular sexual conducts based on the number of persons engaged in the conduct are hereby repealed.

All those laws outlawing particular sexual conducts based on the sex, sexuality, marital status, race, religion, ancestry or nationality of those engaged in the conduct are hereby repealed.

§ III. Additions to Rape Definitions

Any person of 16 years of age or older who engages in a sexual act with a person of 12 years of age or younger is guilty of statutory rape.

Any person of 21 years of age or older who engages in a sexual act with a person of 17 years or younger is guilty of statutory rape.

§ IV. Co-Operation with Federal Authorities

All Northeast law enforcement agencies shall co-operate fully with Federal authorities empowered to pursue investigations pursuant to Sections 1 through 8 of the Anti-Opebo Act."

[MAS117]

This amendment was passed by the citizens & the legislature of the Northeast, and was signed by Governor MAS117.

Constitutional Amendment
Proposed by Governor MAS117

Article II, Section II of the Northeast Constitution is hereby repealed and the text below is hereby inserted as Article III, Section V and Article III, Section VI:

§ V. The Office of Lieutenant Governor is hereby created in the Northeast region. The Office of Lieutenant Governor shall be filled in an election where candidates run as a ticket for there respective offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The Gubernatorial candidate must announce his/her choice for Lieutenant Governor three weeks prior to the election taking place.

In the case that there is a vacancy in the Office of Governor, the Lieutenant Governor will assume the Office of Governor, and he/she will appoint a new Lieutenant Governor for the remainder of the Lieutenant Governor's term. The Lieutenant Governor will serve as President of the Northeastern General Assembly, and will have the authority to call votes and debates on pieces of legislation proposed by the citizens of the Northeast region.

§ VI. The Office of Chief Judicial Officer of the Northeast is hereby created. The Chief Judicial Officer will be styled with the title of Judge. The Judge is appointed by the Governor of the Northeast. The Chief Judicial Officer makes the determination of fact and law in the region. No persons shall hold the positions of Governor and Chief Judicial Officer at the same time, and whereas no persons shall hold the positions of Lieutenant Governor and Chief Judicial Officer at the same time.

[MAS117]

These amendment were passed by the citizens & the legislature of the Northeast, and was signed by Governor MAS117.

Amendments to Northeastern National Guard Act
Proposed by Governor MAS117

Section II of the Northeastern National Guard Act is hereby repealed and replaced with:

"The family of any solider who dies while on active duty in the Northeastern National Guard shall receive a compensation from the Government of the Northeast of $10,000 dollars each year over 20 years, to total to $200,000 dollars."

The following sentence of Section III of the Northeastern National Guard Act is hereby repealed:

"The Adjutant General must be the rank or Major General or higher, and already a member of the Northeastern National Guard."

Section V of the Northeastern National Guard Act is hereby repealed and replaced with:

"Any person who enlists in the Northeastern National Guard, shall serve one tour of duty, consisting of four years, with the option to re-enlist for more tours of duty."

[MAS117]

This bill was passed by the citizens & the legislature of the Northeast, and was signed by Governor MAS117.

Northeastern Stem Cell Act of 2005
Proposed by Governor MAS117

      Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Northeastern Region of the Republic of Atlasia,

      § I. Notwithstanding any other provision of law (including any regulation or guidance), the Governor shall conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells in accordance with this section (regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo).

      § II. Ethical Requirements- Human embryonic stem cells shall be eligible for use in any research conducted or supported by the Governor if the cells meet each of the following:

            (a) The stem cells were derived from human embryos that have been donated from in vitro fertilization clinics, were created for the purposes of fertility treatment, and were in excess of the clinical need of the individuals seeking such treatment.

            (b) Prior to the consideration of embryo donation and through consultation with the individuals seeking fertility treatment, it was determined that the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded.

            (c) The individuals seeking fertility treatment donated the embryos with written informed consent and without receiving any financial or other inducements to make the donation.

[MAS117]

This proclamation was issued by Governor MAS117 on September 5th, 2005 after the horrific damage set to the Southeastern region by Hurricane Katrina.

Region of the Northeast
Executive Department

WHEREAS, Southeastern Governor Bono has declared a state of emergency
WHEREAS, thousands of incidents Atlasians have lost there lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,
WHEREAS, thousands are stuck with no water, food, supplies, and medical attention
WHEREAS, the City of New Orleans is under water

NOW, THEREFORE, I, MAS117, Governor the Northeast, by the power invested in me by Section I of the Northeastern National Guard Act, hereby dispatch 5,000 Northeastern National Guard troops consisting of Military Police, Search and Rescue operators, Engineers, and members of the Medical Corp. to the Southeast to help in there efforts for Hurricane relief.





GIVEN[/i], under my hand and the Great Seal of the Northeast region, this fifth day of September in the year two thousand five and of the the Independence of the Republic of Atlasia, one.

MAS117

Governor

[MAS117]

This bill was passed by the citizens & the legislature of the Northeast, and was signed by Governor MAS117.

Northeast Region Symbols Act
Proposed by Lt. Governor EarlAW

WHEREAS, the Northeast lacks any official symbols and
WHEREAS, every region should have symbols to represent them

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the people of the Northeast enact the following as their official symbols.

§ I. The flag of the Northeast Region shall be a golden silouhette of the map of the region set on a navy background, encircled by 10 white five pointed stars trimmed with gold.

§ II. The great seal fo the Northeas Region shall be a navy circle with a golden border, separated from the navy by a thin white line. The navy field shall consist of a golden silhouette of the map of the region. In the centre of the seal, there shall be a five pointed white star trimmed with a navy border and within it trimmed with a golden border. On the upper left hand side of the seal shall be the words "Great Seal of the" followed by "Northeast" in the lower right hand side written in white.

§ III. The motto of the Northeast Region hall be "fax mentis est incedium gloriae" (the passion of glory is the torch of the mind)

§ IV. The official bird of the Northeast Region shall be the black capped chickadee

§ V. The official flower of the Northeast region shall be the Mountain laurel

Reference:

Seal:


Flag:

[MAS117]

This amendment was passed by the citizens & the legislature of the Northeast, and was signed by Governor MAS117.

Amendment to the Northeastern National Guard Act
Proposed by Governor MAS117

Section VII is hereby added to the Northeastern National Guard Act:

§ VII. Any citizen who enlists for a minimum of one tour of duty in the Northeastern National Guard is hereby authorized to attend any regional college or university tuition free for undergraduate and graduate studies.

[MAS117]

This bill was passed by the General Assembly of the Northeast & signed by Governor MAS117.

Northeast Euthanasia Proposition

Section 1: The Right to Die
1. The Right to a dignified death when blighted with a terminal illness and great suffering is hereby granted to all those mentally sane residents of the Northeast Region.
2. If a person shall opt to invoke this Right, they may seek assistance from medical practitioners to grant them a dignified death.
3. In order to invoke this Right, the person must sign a notice containing their wishes and must have the same signed by a public notary.
4. This notice, along with the relevant certifications as specified by Section 3, must be lodged with the Northeast Courts of Law to have effect, and such notice shall take effect seven days after it is lodged with the Courts.
5. The method of assisting a person to a dignified death is left at the discretion of the person concerned after consultation with a medical practitioner, and may include a medical practitioner administering a lethal dose of a controlled substance to the person.

Section 2: Living Wills
1. All mentally sane residents of the Northeast shall have the right to provide instructions for the event that they are blighted with a terminal illness and incapacitated from communicating their wishes.
2. These may include instructions for the ending of their life through withdrawal of treatment or direct action.
3. In order to provide these instructions, a person must sign a notice stating such instructions, and must have the same signed by a public notary.
4. This notice must be lodged with the Northeast Courts of Law to have effect.
5. A living will may only be acted if authorisation to is received from a Northeast Court of Law, which shall only issue such an order if they receive all certifications as specified in Section 3.

Section 3: Medical Determinations
1. A person shall be deemed to be blighted with a terminal illness if three certified medical practitioners certify the same in writing. At least one of these practitioners shall be a specialist in the field of medicine that relates to the illness suffered from by the person concerned.
2. A person shall be deemed to be in great suffering if three certified medical practitioners certify that in their medical judgement the person is in such distress that their quality of life is reduced and that there is no further medical assistance that can be given to substantially improve their quality of life.
3. A person shall be deemed to be mentally sane if a certified medical practitioner with specialism in psychiatry shall certify the same in writing.
4. A person shall be deemed to be incapacitated from communicating their wishes if three certified medical practitioners shall certify the same in writing.
5. None of those performing certification pursuant to this Section may benefit directly or indirectly from the death of the person concerned, except as may occur through the payment for provision of services.

Section 4: Prosecutions
1. No medical practitioner acting to assist the person to a dignified death shall be prosecutable unless they have in some way deviated from or ignored the procedures outlined in this statute.
2. If any person shall unduly encourage a person to invoke their rights as outlined in Section 1 or Section 2 then they shall have committed a felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000.
3. If a medical practitioner shall deviate from the procedure in this statute, then they shall be liable to have their medical license revoked and may be subject to prosecution in the Courts, punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000.
4. If a medical practitioner shall unduly encourage to invoke their rights as outlined in Section 1 or Section 2 and shall assist in executing these rights, or shall engage in direct action to hasten death without consent, then they shall be guilty of murder.