Pacific Legislature Official Thread

[Everett]

Aye.

[Ebowed]

Aye

[phk]

Aye

[TheWildCard]

!EYAAYE!

[Alcon]

This combines a very special level of personal harassment with an overstepping of the purpose of the legislature.

Aye!

[Platypus]

NAY.

I agree with section one, but freedom of expression allows posting on white nationalist boards-although some things said on such boards may be disgraceful and not worthy of a Pacific citizen, we all still have the right to view and post on those boards, especially if those posts are attacking racism. Whilst is uses words like 'condemn' and 'invites', the impact is pretty clear. Our region is better than this; should we become anti-Nazi Nazis?

[Ebowed]

Guaranteed Minimum Income Bill
1. The Pacific Government will ensure that every resident over the age of 16 will be given a minimum income of $14,900 per year.
2. To apply for this minimum income, a resident over the age of 16 must be earning less than $14,900; a citizen earning less than the amount will be given the necessary sum to total an income of $14,900.
3. Residents who do not earn income, including welfare recipients, will be eligible for the full annual $14,900.
4. The guaranteed minimum income will also be open to immigrants including those not documented with the federal government.

Free Our Prisons Bill
1. No law shall exist criminalizing the possession, consumption, or sale of any Schedule I or Schedule II drug.
2. Persons incarcerated for violations of drug law will be given automatic release from prison, assuming they have not committed any other crimes, upon passage of this bill.
3. Funds from the regional "War on Drugs" shall be redistributed to drug education and drug addiction treatment programs.
4. "Crimes" in Section 2 shall not be construed as to include being an undocumented immigrant.

Metric System Bill
1. The Pacific Government shall convert to use of the Metric system in all relevant affairs, effective two months after passage.

Local Restrictions Bill
1. Any local laws restricting the sale of alcohol on the basis of the day of the week, or time of the day, is repealed.
2. Any local laws restricting the sale or possession of water-pipes, glass pipes, rolling papers, rolling filters, or cigarette rolling machines is repealed.
3. Any local laws restricting the right to grow tobacco at home is repealed.
4. No age restriction shall exist to purchase a lighter or safety matches.

Affirmative Action Restoration Bill
1. The Affirmative Action Bill is repealed.
2. The Pacific Government will establish an affirmative action in employment program to increase racial and gender diversity in regional employment.

Income Tax Increase Bill
1. A new income tax bracket, of 45.5% on annual income exceeding $50 million, is hereby established.

Selective Education Bill
1. Effective August 1, 2012, private schools from K-12 will be illegal.

[Platypus]

Guaranteed Minimum Income Bill
1. The Pacific Government will ensure that every resident will be given a minimum income of $14,900 per year.
2. To apply for this minimum income, a resident must be earning less than $14,900; a citizen earning less than the amount will be given the necessary sum to total an income of $14,900.
3. Residents who do not earn income, including welfare recipients, will be eligible for the full annual $14,900.
4. The guaranteed minimum income will also be open to immigrants including those not documented with the federal government.

edit section 1 to "...that every adult citizen will be...". Section three is problematic. Do pensions count towards the minimum income? Scrap section four. I strongly support immigrant rights but that should be a different bill with the complexities more fully realised.

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edit to "...affairs, two months after the date of passage."

quote]
Local Restrictions Bill
1. Any local laws restricting the sale of alcohol on the basis of the day of the week, or time of the day, is repealed.
2. Any local laws restricting the sale of water-pipes, rolling papers, rolling filters, or cigarette rolling machines is repealed.
3. No age restriction shall exist to purchase a lighter or safety matches.
[/quote]
I like hands off, but I also like better policy than this. What are the effects of this legislation? I'd like to hear some serious discussion on this-I particularly would like to hear from shopkeepers and educators.

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Needs way more detail.

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No. Way. Ever.

Parents have the right to send their children to the school of their choice. I would strongly support the right of a child to refuse to attend a private school under the obligation that they went to the local government school instead, because I recognise the danger of some private schools 'values' and 'education', but the vast majority have a worthwhile role to play and certainly a right to exist.

[Ebowed]

edit section 1 to "...that every adult citizen will be...".

I have updated the bill to say "every resident over the age of 16."

Section three is problematic. Do pensions count towards the minimum income?

Any money earned would be subtracted from the $14,900 total.

edit to "...affairs, two months after the date of passage."

Done.

I like hands off, but I also like better policy than this. What are the effects of this legislation? I'd like to hear some serious discussion on this-I particularly would like to hear from shopkeepers and educators.

Well, basically, some counties are "dry."  Since it is within the Region's power to remove these restrictions, and "dry laws" are an infringement on the rights of our residents, I am hoping to do exactly that.  The restrictions on rolling papers, etc., comes from a desire by anti-marijuana politicians to simultaneously curb the availability of any type of tobacco except corporate tailor-made cigarettes.  The restrictions are unnecessary, especially now that marijuana is legalized in the Pacific.

[bgwah]

The Resolution to Express the Sense of the Pacific Region on Racists has passed 6-1.

As it looks like there as is active discussion on Porce's recent proposals, I will wait to sign them.

[Platypus]

edit section 1 to "...that every adult citizen will be...".

I have updated the bill to say "every resident over the age of 16."

Section three is problematic. Do pensions count towards the minimum income?

Any money earned would be subtracted from the $14,900 total.

I appreciate the concessions and clarification. I still firmly believe that we should focus this bill on current citizens before immigrants-I strongly, strongly support immigrant rights but it needs to be part of a much larger, more complex bill giving immigrants ceertain rights across the board; we can't do it piece-of-legislation by piece-of-legislation.

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Done.

I like hands off, but I also like better policy than this. What are the effects of this legislation? I'd like to hear some serious discussion on this-I particularly would like to hear from shopkeepers and educators.

Well, basically, some counties are "dry."  Since it is within the Region's power to remove these restrictions, and "dry laws" are an infringement on the rights of our residents, I am hoping to do exactly that.  The restrictions on rolling papers, etc., comes from a desire by anti-marijuana politicians to simultaneously curb the availability of any type of tobacco except corporate tailor-made cigarettes.  The restrictions are unnecessary, especially now that marijuana is legalized in the Pacific.
[/quote]

The second and third sections I have no problem with, but the first, I think does need to be discussed. Is selling alcohol at 9am really a good idea? Is it a bad idea? Let's hear from the community a bit.

[Ebowed]

Is selling alcohol at 9am really a good idea? Is it a bad idea? Let's hear from the community a bit.

Well, I'm sure there are plenty of plausible reasons why someone would want to buy alcohol at 9 in the morning.  They might be preparing for a party they're hosting later that day, or maybe they're buying groceries and stocking up on whatever they like to drink at the same time.  I can't really begin to speculate on every possible reason as to why someone would want to do it, but needless to say I think there are many legitimate reasons that someone may want to buy alcohol at an odd hour of the day.

The real issue at stake here is whether the business can decide when it can sell its alcohol, or whether religiously-influenced local restrictions will decide that for them.

[bgwah]

As it looks like discussion has come to and, I shall now proceed to sign the legislation.

Guaranteed Minimum Income Bill
1. The Pacific Government will ensure that every resident over the age of 16 will be given a minimum income of $14,900 per year.
2. To apply for this minimum income, a resident over the age of 16 must be earning less than $14,900; a citizen earning less than the amount will be given the necessary sum to total an income of $14,900.
3. Residents who do not earn income, including welfare recipients, will be eligible for the full annual $14,900.
4. The guaranteed minimum income will also be open to immigrants including those not documented with the federal government.
X Governor Jesus

Free Our Prisons Bill
1. No law shall exist criminalizing the possession, consumption, or sale of any Schedule I or Schedule II drug.
2. Persons incarcerated for violations of drug law will be given automatic release from prison, assuming they have not committed any other crimes, upon passage of this bill.
3. Funds from the regional "War on Drugs" shall be redistributed to drug education and drug addiction treatment programs.
4. "Crimes" in Section 2 shall not be construed as to include being an undocumented immigrant.
X Governor Jesus

Metric System Bill
1. The Pacific Government shall convert to use of the Metric system in all relevant affairs, effective two months after passage.
X Governor Jesus

Local Restrictions Bill
1. Any local laws restricting the sale of alcohol on the basis of the day of the week, or time of the day, is repealed.
2. Any local laws restricting the sale or possession of water-pipes, glass pipes, rolling papers, rolling filters, or cigarette rolling machines is repealed.
3. Any local laws restricting the right to grow tobacco at home is repealed.
4. No age restriction shall exist to purchase a lighter or safety matches.
X Governor Jesus

Affirmative Action Restoration Bill
1. The Affirmative Action Bill is repealed.
2. The Pacific Government will establish an affirmative action in employment program to increase racial and gender diversity in regional employment.
X Governor Jesus

Income Tax Increase Bill
1. A new income tax bracket, of 45.5% on annual income exceeding $50 million, is hereby established.
X Governor Jesus

Selective Education Bill
1. Effective August 1, 2012, private schools from K-12 will be illegal.
X Governor Jesus

Voting will open sometime tomorrow.

[bgwah]

Voting on the above legislation is now open. Voting will close in exactly one week.

[Ebowed]

Aye to all

[CultureKing]

Guaranteed Minimum Income Bill
-Nay

Free Our Prisons Bill
Nay

Metric System Bill
Aye

Local Restrictions Bill
Aye

Affirmative Action Restoration Bill
Aye

Income Tax Increase Bill
Aye

Selective Education Bill
Nay

[Alcon]

Guaranteed Minimum Income Bill
Nay

Free Our Prisons Bill
Abstain

Metric System Bill
Aye

Local Restrictions Bill
Aye

Affirmative Action Restoration Bill
Nay

Income Tax Increase Bill
Abstain

Selective Education Bill
Nay

[Platypus]

Guaranteed Minimum Income Bill
Nay

Free Our Prisons Bill
Nay

Metric System Bill
Aye

Local Restrictions Bill
Aye

Affirmative Action Restoration Bill
Nay

Income Tax Increase Bill
Aye

Selective Education Bill
Nay

[bgwah]

Guaranteed Minimum Income Bill - Nay
Free Our Prisons Bill - Aye
Metric System Bill - Aye
Local Restrictions Bill - Aye
Affirmative Action Restoration Bill - Abstain
Income Tax Increase Bill - Aye
Selective Education Bill - Nay

[bgwah]

With 1 Aye and 4 Nays, the Guaranteed Minimum Income Bill fails.

With 2 Ayes, 2 Nays, and 1 Abstain, the Free Our Prisons Bill fails.

With 5 Ayes, the Metric System Bill passes.
X Governor Jesus

With 5 Ayes, the Local Restrictions Bill passes.
X Governor Jesus

With 2 Ayes, 2 Nays, and 1 Abstain, Affirmative Action Restoration Bill fails.

With 4 Ayes and 1 Abstain, the Income Tax Increase Bill passes.
X Governor Jesus

With 1 Aye and 4 Nays, the Selective Education Bill fails.

[bgwah]

I'd like to propose these two new bills. I'll wait a day or so before signing them so anybody can comment or make suggestions.

MENTAL INSTITUTION BILL
1) The Pacific Region shall construct a state-of-the-art facility to house the region's most dangerous mentally ill patients.
2) The facility will be located on Treasure Island.
3) The facility shall be named the John D. Ford Regional Mental Institution, in honor of the Pacific's second Governor.

PACIFIC CAPITOL BUILDING BILL
1) The Pacific Region shall purchase the San Francisco City Hall from the city of San Francisco, using eminent domain if necessary.
2) The San Francisco city government shall have until February 4th, 2008 to relocate. Following this date, the Pacific Regional Government shall move into the building.
3) The city hall shall be renamed the Pacific Capitol Building.
4) The building will serve as the meeting place of the Pacific Legislature, and house the offices of the Pacific Governor and Pacific Senator.
5) The building will include a safe drug-injection site. This will help in preventing the spread of diseases such as AIDS.

[Ebowed]

Resolution Concerning the View of the Pacific Region on Capital Punishment

1. The people of the Pacific Region recognize the act of capital punishment as being a form of the government taking the lives of its own residents in a time of peace.
2. The people of the Pacific Region recognize capital punishment to be immoral and wrong.
3. The people of the Pacific Region wholeheartedly condemn the majority of the Southeast, as well as the Northeast Governor, in taking every effort possible to preserve and strengthen capital punishment within the Atlasian regions.
4. The people of the Pacific Region call for the immediate resignation of Governor MAS117 due to his shocking lack of moral character in supporting capital punishment.

[CultureKing]

I'd like to propose these two new bills. I'll wait a day or so before signing them so anybody can comment or make suggestions.

MENTAL INSTITUTION BILL
1) The Pacific Region shall construct a state-of-the-art facility to house the region's most dangerous mentally ill patients.
2) The facility will be located on Treasure Island.
3) The facility shall be named the John D. Ford Regional Mental Institution, in honor of the Pacific's second Governor.

PACIFIC CAPITOL BUILDING BILL
1) The Pacific Region shall purchase the San Francisco City Hall from the city of San Francisco, using eminent domain if necessary.
2) The San Francisco city government shall have until February 4th, 2008 to relocate. Following this date, the Pacific Regional Government shall move into the building.
3) The city hall shall be renamed the Pacific Capitol Building.
4) The building will serve as the meeting place of the Pacific Legislature, and house the offices of the Pacific Governor and Pacific Senator.
5) The building will include a safe drug-injection site. This will help in preventing the spread of diseases such as AIDS.

In regard to having a capitol building why don't we just create our own new one instead of creating ill-will by seizing San Francisco's?

Oh and is San Francisco the official capital of the region?

[bgwah]

I'd like to propose these two new bills. I'll wait a day or so before signing them so anybody can comment or make suggestions.

MENTAL INSTITUTION BILL
1) The Pacific Region shall construct a state-of-the-art facility to house the region's most dangerous mentally ill patients.
2) The facility will be located on Treasure Island.
3) The facility shall be named the John D. Ford Regional Mental Institution, in honor of the Pacific's second Governor.

PACIFIC CAPITOL BUILDING BILL
1) The Pacific Region shall purchase the San Francisco City Hall from the city of San Francisco, using eminent domain if necessary.
2) The San Francisco city government shall have until February 4th, 2008 to relocate. Following this date, the Pacific Regional Government shall move into the building.
3) The city hall shall be renamed the Pacific Capitol Building.
4) The building will serve as the meeting place of the Pacific Legislature, and house the offices of the Pacific Governor and Pacific Senator.
5) The building will include a safe drug-injection site. This will help in preventing the spread of diseases such as AIDS.

In regard to having a capitol building why don't we just create our own new one instead of creating ill-will by seizing San Francisco's?

Oh and is San Francisco the official capital of the region?

Yes, SF is the capital.

As for creating our own capitol building, what are we going to do, draw crappy designs in paint ?

[CultureKing]

I'd like to propose these two new bills. I'll wait a day or so before signing them so anybody can comment or make suggestions.

MENTAL INSTITUTION BILL
1) The Pacific Region shall construct a state-of-the-art facility to house the region's most dangerous mentally ill patients.
2) The facility will be located on Treasure Island.
3) The facility shall be named the John D. Ford Regional Mental Institution, in honor of the Pacific's second Governor.

PACIFIC CAPITOL BUILDING BILL
1) The Pacific Region shall purchase the San Francisco City Hall from the city of San Francisco, using eminent domain if necessary.
2) The San Francisco city government shall have until February 4th, 2008 to relocate. Following this date, the Pacific Regional Government shall move into the building.
3) The city hall shall be renamed the Pacific Capitol Building.
4) The building will serve as the meeting place of the Pacific Legislature, and house the offices of the Pacific Governor and Pacific Senator.
5) The building will include a safe drug-injection site. This will help in preventing the spread of diseases such as AIDS.

In regard to having a capitol building why don't we just create our own new one instead of creating ill-will by seizing San Francisco's?

Oh and is San Francisco the official capital of the region?

Yes, SF is the capital.

As for creating our own capitol building, what are we going to do, draw crappy designs in paint ?

Or copy the design from another capitol building elsewhere in the world