9th Council of Lincoln Legislative Introduction Thread

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Use this thread to introduce Legislation.

Legislation from the 8th Council Thread that was not considered needs to be reposted here to be considered.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

SPEAKER'S ANNOUNCED POLICIES:

Speaker's Announced Policy on Vote Reminders:

- Members should check the regional governments board at least once daily to read, introduce, and debate legislation as appropriate, and to introduce any amendments or cast any votes as necessary. Members should NOT rely on the Speaker, the Chancellor, or the Opposition Leader to remind them of basic legislative tasks, including votes.

- That being said, in the event that a vote is being lightly attended, the Speaker or his designee shall endeavor to send one reminder to all members who have not voted, via Atlas PM or Discord DM. The Speaker or his designee may send further reminders to members who have made it a habit to not vote.

- At Four consecutive missed final votes on legislation, the member shall be placed on the Wall of Shame on the noticeboard, in accordance with the policies listed there.

- At Six consecutive missed final votes on legislation, the member shall be expelled from the Council in accordance with the Lincoln Constitution.

- Each vote lasts a maximum of 48 hours and votes cast outside of that time frame will not be counted by the Speaker.

Speaker's Announced Policy on Sponsor Advocacy:

- Sponsors are expected to advocate for their bills promptly once posted.

- If a bill does not receive Sponsor Advocacy within its initial 72 hours of debate, the Speaker shall move to table it on that basis.

Speaker's Announced Policy on Amendments:

- All Bills are considered under an open amendment process, however basic respect for the time of the Chamber is expected.

- If an amendment is not germane, that is, it is not related to the main topic or theme of the bill, the Speaker shall seek to begin a vote on it as soon as possible. The Speaker shall vote No on grounds of the amendment not being germane, and shall urge his colleagues to do the same.

- Ahead of Bills where a large number of amendments is expected, the Speaker shall work with the other Councillors to consider amendments en bloc or reduce the number of amendments being offered.

- If a motion to proceed to a final vote is made, and either not objected to, or objected to and subsequently upheld according to the SOAP, the Council shall proceed to votes on pending amendments followed by the final vote.

- If a motion to invoke Cloture is instead made, then in accordance with the SOAP it shall receive a vote immediately after any open vote on the same thread has concluded. If passed per the SOAP, a motion to invoke Cloture voids pending amendments and allows the chamber to proceed immediately to a final vote. To be Considered a motion to invoke Cloture, that motion must be clearly stated: "I move to invoke Cloture" or similar. Otherwise the Speaker shall refer to the previous paragraph of this policy.

- Under Special or Extenuating Circumstances, the Chamber may consider a Special Rule for Consideration, which if adopted, shall only be applied to the bill(s) it names.

Speaker's Announced Policy on Non-Sitting Days

- It is the Speaker's recommendation that there be no Non-Sitting Days during this Council

Speaker's Announced Policy on Decorum of Non-Members:

- Those who are not in the Council are welcome to comment on bill threads, but are reminded that all rules of the Atlas Forum apply.

- In particular, spamming threads with unhelpful comments shall not be tolerated.

- The Speaker or his designee shall report offending posts of non-members regularly.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Resolution supporting moving Kansas

- The Lincoln region hereby endorses any and all efforts to relocate Kansas from The South to Fremont.

[Continential]

Banning Discrimination/Firings for Political Views Act
To ban discrimination or firings because of one's political views

1. This bill shall be referred to as the "Banning Discrimination/Firings for Political Views Act",
2. This bill will ban discrimination and firings for one's political views
3. This bill will take effect one day after it is signed.

[Continential]

The Right to Read Act
To Ban Banning Books

1. All locations owned by the region of Lincoln shall not ban books.
2. No person shall be discriminated or fired because they have read a certain book.
2. This act will take place immediately after the Governor signs it.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Ban McDonalds Act

Recongizing that McDonalds is a horrible company that exists solely for the purpose of making people Obese and forcing them to consume horribly unhealthy and greasy products made through suspicious practices,

Recongizing that Obesity is one of the biggest problems facing Atlasia and the Lincoln Region,

The Council Hereby,

- Bans McDonalds, or any affiliate or franchise thereof, from operating anywhere in Lincoln and from importing their products to Lincoln

- Bans any offsite McDonalds facility or similar venue that seeks to produce McDonalds products in Lincoln for exportation to other regions.

- Decrees that any McDonalds, or any affiliate or franchise thereof, or any related offsite facility or similar venue, that acts in contravention to this law, will see all of its owners and managers imprisoned for anywhere from six months to three years. Each case will be judged individually.

[Continential]

Alchohol Policy Adjustment Act

An Act to Loosen Alchohol Policies

1. The legal age to purchase and consume alcohol in Lincoln shall be 18 years of age.
2. No jurisdiction in Lincoln may any law prohibiting the legal consumption of alcohol in public places except while operating machinery which may be dangerous to operate under the influence.
  2.1 All such policies are hereby repealed.
3. This act shall take effect 1 month after passage.

[Continential]

Lincoln Value Added Tax Act
To pay for programs

Be it enacted by the Government of the Region of Lincoln

1. This legislation shall be called the "Lincoln Value Added Tax"
2. The Government of Lincoln shall establish a Value Added Tax of 7.5% for all goods except for, all materials related to education, clothing, and food.
3. The Lincoln Value Added Tax will become effective immediately following the passage of the budget for the region of Lincoln for the fiscal year 2020-2021.

[S019]

Resolution to Censure Councilor Ishan

I. The Council of Lincoln hereby recognizes that Councilor Ishan invaded the private headquarters of the Atlasian Labor Party

II. The Council of Lincoln recognizes that to do so Councilor Ishan impersonated Lincoln citizen Badger of Ohio

III. The Council of Lincoln hereby censures Councilor Ishan for "conduct unbecoming of a Councilor."

IV. The Council of Lincoln encourages Councilor Ishan to resign due to his conduct and issue a formal apology to Chairman TedBessell of California, Vice Chair MB of the Northern Mariana Islands, General Secretary Oregon Blue Dog of Oregon, and other Labor Party officials for his conduct.

[Continential]

Lincoln Small Business Administration Act
To establish a Lincoln Small Business Administration

Be it enacted by the Council of the Region of Lincoln

1. A department shall be established called the "Lincoln Small Business Administration"
2. The Lincoln Small Business Administration shall have a budget of $2 billion dollars each year.
3. The Lincoln Small Business Administration shall give grants and loans under $100,000 for small businesses that have under or at $500,000 dollars of net revenue each year.
4. The Lincoln Small Business Administration shall start after the passage of the bill.

[S019]

Introducing this as a placeholder (for now)

IN THE LINCOLN COUNCIL

A RESOLUTION

Establishing the budget for the Lincoln Government lasting from October 2019 until September 2020

Resolved by the Lincoln Council convened,

Expenditures

Health - $269.89bn + $1.49bn (L603) = $269.89bn

Pensions - $104.40bn + $0bn (LC 11.11) = $104.40bn

Education - $105.19bn + $ 35.63bn (L505, L601, L 12.9, L 13.06) = $140.82bn

Defence - $0.10bn + $0.03bn (L 11.22) = $0.13bn

Transport - $54.18bn + $0.48bn (L 15.6) =$54.66bn

Welfare - $40.93bn + $0.22bn (L 11.4.2, L 14.9) = $41.15bn

General Govt - $20.27bn + -$0.11bn (L513, L 15.9) = $20.16bn

Debt Interest - $23.30bn

Protection - $23.83bn + $4.86bn (L 6.4.3, L 7.3.1, L 10.16.5) = $28.69bn

Other - $31.44bn + $0.98bn (LC 1.13) = $32.42bn

One time additional spending - $39.54bn (L 6.5.1, L 7.1.1, L 7.4.2, L 7.5.1, L 9.10.5, L 10.16.5, L 10.26.5, L 11.17, L 15.3)

===============================

TOTAL EXPENDITURES - $ 755.80 billion

===============================

PROPOSED TAXES

Income tax
0.0%    $0 - $24,999 ($0 B)
10%    $25,000 - $49,9999 ($13.19 B)
16%    $50,000 - $99,999 ($58.66 B)
23%   $100,000 - $249,999 ($131.46 B)
28%   $250,000 - $999,999 ($80.20 B)
33%   $1,000,000 + ($46.28 B)

Rates remain the same for married couples filing jointly, but brackets are doubled.

Alcohol Tax
12% ($6.84 B)

Tobacco Tax
12% ($3.42 B)

Cannabis Tax
12% ($2.49 B) + $1.25bn (L10.25.4) = $3.74 B

Other drugs tax (L10.25.4) = $0.58bn

Gas (L.C. 3.2):
Lowest 20% earners-5¢/g ($0.21 B)
Second lowest 20%- 15¢/g ($0.93 B)
Mid 40%-60%- 30¢/g ($2.69 B)
60-80%- 40¢/g ($4.55 B)
Upper 20%- 60¢/g ($8.27 B)
Total: $16.55 B

Diesel (L.C. 3.2):
Lowest 20% earners-20¢/g ($0.28 B)
Second lowest 20%- 30¢/g ($0.62 B)
Mid 40%-60%- 50¢/g ($1.49 B)
60-80%- 60¢/g ($2.27 B)
Upper 20%- 75¢/g ($3.45 B)
Total: $8.11 B

New automobile purchase tax (by curb weight): $120 per thousand kilograms ($1.02 B)

Luxury Tax
30% ($6.48 B)

Wealth Tax
3%
Total Wealth Tax with Lincoln Population Multiplier = ($39.31 B)

Property tax
0.0%    $0 - $24,999 ($0 B)
1%   $25,000 - $49,9999 ($15.53 B)
2%    $50,000 - $99,999 ($54.57 B)
3%   $100,000 - $249,999 ($78.63 B)
4%   $250,000 - $999,999 ($24.21 B)
5%   $1,000,000 + ($7.60 B)

Estate Tax
15%  $10,000,000 - $19,999,999 ($0.61 B)
15%  $20,000,000 - $49,999,999 ($1.66 B)
20%  $50,000,000 + ($6.79 B)
Total Estate Tax with Lincoln Population Multiplier = ($2.82 B)

Corporate Tax
0.0%  $0 - $99,999 ($0 B)
5%   $100,000 - $499,999 ($0.27 B)
5%   $500,000 - $999,999 ($0.16 B)
10%  $1,000,000 - $4,999,999 ($1.00 B)
10%  $5,000,000 - $9,999,999 ($0.68 B)
15%  $10,000,000 - $24,999,999 ($1.94 B)
15%  $25,000,000 - $49,999,999 ($1.82 B)
15%  $50,000,000 - $99,999,999 ($2.22 B)
15%  $100,000,000 - $249,999,999 ($3.83 B)
15%  $250,000,000 - $499,999,999 ($4.45 B)
15%  $500,000,000 - $2,499,999,999 ($21.09 B)
15%  $2,500,000,000 + ($141.91 B)
Total Corporate Tax with Lincoln Population Multiplier = ($55.86 B)

Carbon Tax (LC 2.20)
20$ per metric ton of CO2: $35.03 B

===============================

TOTAL REVENUES - $690.09 B
===============================

PROJECTED DEFICIT - - $ 65.71 B

[Continential]

We shouldn't have a regional military force Act
An act to end the Department of Northern Defense

1. The Regionalization Atlasian Security Act is hearby repealed.
2. This act shall take effect after 1 month after the signature of the governor 

[S019]

We shouldn't have a regional military force Act
An act to end the Department of Northern Defense

1. The Regionalization Atlasian Security Act is hearby repealed.
2. This act shall take effect after 1 month after the signature of the governor  

Fyi all pre-reset bills are now invalid

[Continential]

We shouldn't have a regional military force Act
An act to end the Department of Northern Defense

1. The Regionalization Atlasian Security Act is hearby repealed.
2. This act shall take effect after 1 month after the signature of the governor 

Fyi all pre-reset bills are now invalid

It was made in October 2016, after the reset, so unless there was a bill reset on the Philly Plan this is valid unless there was a reset that I don't know about

[S019]

We shouldn't have a regional military force Act
An act to end the Department of Northern Defense

1. The Regionalization Atlasian Security Act is hearby repealed.
2. This act shall take effect after 1 month after the signature of the governor  

Fyi all pre-reset bills are now invalid

It was made in October 2016, after the reset, so unless there was a bill reset on the Philly Plan this is valid unless there was a reset that I don't know about

Also something like this would cost money and it was never in the last budget, so this was clearly scrapped at some point in time, or it has basically no impact anymore

EDIT: The title of the bill is literally N111, N refers to the old Northern Assembly which was abolished

Also the consolidated Lincoln bill a while back repealed almost everything in existence and condensed it into one big bill, so I doubt this survived, either way, my point stands, this is a waste of time.

EDIT: Yeah, after a quick check this no longer exists

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

We shouldn't have a regional military force Act
An act to end the Department of Northern Defense

1. The Regionalization Atlasian Security Act is hearby repealed.
2. This act shall take effect after 1 month after the signature of the governor 

Cosponsoring this

[Continential]

withdrawing the sponsorship

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

withdrawing the sponsorship

withdrawing mine as well

[Continential]

Where Voting Should Be Act
ensuring where polling places for local elections should be

Section I: Title and Clarifications

1. The Title of the bill shall be called, "Where Voting should be Act"
2. This bill applies to all offices in the NPC Elections in Lincoln.
3. A polling place is defined as a place where people cast their votes.

Section II: Text

1. There will be a commission of NPC nonpartisan local leaders in each county, chosen by the Minister of Regional Elections or the Governor of Lincoln.
2. Each commission shall determine where polling places should be in the NPC elections.

Section III: Where this shall take effect?

1. This shall take effect after the Governor signs it.

[S019]

Well we don't have anything else on the floor and it's clear that COVID will still be around in January so:

No Need to Spread Disease Act

A act to encourage safe practices during the Covid-19 outbreak

1. Government Facilities
a) All persons inside a building owned by the Government of Lincoln must wear a face mask covering the nose and mouth
  a1)  Individuals who do not adhere to the requirements specified in this act may be fined up to $50 per infraction.
b) Hand sanitizer must be made readily available in all buildings owned by the Government of Lincoln
c) Government workers who are not required to work on site shall work from home.
d) The various departments and administrations of the Government of Lincoln shall be responsible for ensuring that all possible services are made available online.
2. Liabilities for Businesses
a) Customers and employees of retail stores must wear a face mask covering the nose and mouth while in the store.
  a1) Customers are not required to wear a mask for a pick up which does not require entry to the building.
  a2) Retail businesses who do not adhere to the requirements specified in this act may be fined no less than $250 and up to $750 per infraction.
  a3) Individuals who do not adhere to the requirements specified in this act may be fined up to $50 per infraction.
b) No business shall be required to serve customers which do not adhere to business policies regarding covid-19 protection.
c) It shall not be considered wrongful to terminate an employee who refuses to adhere to business policies regarding covid-19 protection.
3. School Safety
a) School districts in Lincoln may be permitted to open schools for face-to-face learning only if the district covid-19 positivity rate is under 3%, however districts may opt to remain closed, even if they meet this criteria.
  a1) Schools must be closed if the district positivity rate increases to above 3%.
b) All persons in a school in Lincoln must wear a face mask covering the nose and mouth except during designated meal times.
c) Hand sanitizer must be made readily available in all schools in Lincoln.
d) Public schools must make classes available online meeting all curriculum criteria.
  d1) Online classes shall be required in districts which do not meet the requirement for reopening and optional for all students in districts which do meet the criteria for reopening.
4. Lincolrail and Lincolnbus
a) Lincolnrail and Lincolnbus services shall be permitted only to operate at half capacity.
  a1) Passengers shall be seated such that they are not adjacent.
  a2) Passengers shall not be permitted to sit in seats facing towards other passengers.
b) All passengers and employees of Lincolnrail and Lincolnbus must wear a face mask covering the nose and mouth while on board.
c) Hand sanitizer shall be made readily available on Lincolnrail and Lincolnbus services.
5. State and Local Governments
a) This act shall not be construed as to prevent state and local governments within Lincoln from applying additional requirements as they see fit.
b) State and local governments in Lincoln are required to adopt the policies outlined in section 1.
6. Timing
a) This act shall take effect immediately upon passage.
b) This act shall expire January 1 March 20, 2021 unless extended by the council.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Comprehensive Philadelphia Plan Repeal Amendment

A. The Lincoln Council is hereby renamed to the Lincoln Assembly, and notwithstanding anything else in this amendment, the Councillors (who shall now be known as Assemblymen or Delegates), along with the incumbent governor, shall retain their powers until the next applicable election.

B. The Lincoln Council's SOAP shall be completely wiped out and a new one will need to be passed by the Assembly, except that any bills already on the floor may still be considered according to the Council's SOAP.

C. The Position of Lincoln Chancellor is hereby abolished.

D. If any existing Lincoln laws conflict with this amendment, they are hereby amended such that they comply/agree with the amendment, with full severability if a provision would need to be removed.

E. The Lincoln Constitution is hereby restored to its state before the passage of the Philadelphia plan, amended as follows:

Preamble to the Northern Lincoln Constitution: We, the people of the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Wisconsin, and Vermont, acting in accordance with the great precept that all men and women are created equal, and for the purpose of preserving the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Northern Lincoln Region.

Declaration of Rights
1. All people are born free and equal, and accordingly none shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property but by due process of law.

2.  All citizens shall be afforded equal protection under the laws of this Region. Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crimes of which the accused has been duly convicted, shall exist within the bounds of this Region.

3. The freedom of speech and the freedom of the press are together the greatest bulwark against the institution of a despotic government, and accordingly neither shall be withheld or abridged by any public authority.

4. No law shall be enforced or enacted by this Region effecting the establishment of religion, nor obstructing the freedom of worship, and no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under this government.

5. In accordance with the great precept that all honest governments are founded upon the consent of the governed, and that government ought therefore to be accountable to the people, the right to peaceably assemble and to petition for the redress of grievances shall not be infringed.

6. A well-regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free people, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. This shall not be construed to prevent the assembly from requiring background checks, banning bump stocks, or banning automatic weapons.

7. The seizure of private property for public use without just compensation shall be prohibited.

8. The right of two consenting adults to marry shall not be denied or abridged on account of gender or sex.

9.  The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, except in times of war or internal rebellion when the public safety may require it.

10. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, homes, records, communications, and possessions shall not be infringed, nor the warrantless search, seizure, or surveillance of the same permitted; and no warrants shall be issued but upon probable cause, supported by oath of affirmation, and particularly stating the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

11. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have right to a speedy and fair trial by a jury of their peers in the state wherein the crime shall have been committed, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted by the witnesses against them, to have a compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in their favor, and to have the assistance of counsel in their defense.

12.  No person shall be compelled to bear witness against themselves, nor subjected to excessive bail, nor excessive fines, nor cruel or unusual punishment.

13. Insofar as the foundation of any just government is and should be the consent of the governed, and that therefore the people ought to act as the first and greatest bastion against the growth of tyranny, the health and survival of any free nation depends on an educated and thoughtful populace. To this end, it shall be the duty of this government to erect and maintain a system of public schools, open to all minors residing within this Region, and ordered according to the provisions set forth by the legislative power.

14. No soldier shall, in times of peace, be lodged in any house or private building without the consent of the owner, nor in times of war except in the manner prescribed by law.

15. No law shall be enforced or enacted by this Region requiring voters to denote their state of residence in the voting booth.

16. No budget or appropriation bill shall be passed by the legislative power of this Region for which the totaled expenditures exceed the sum of all revenue collected in the previous year, unless approved by 2/3 of all duly chosen and sworn Assemblymen.

17. The enumeration of certain rights in this Constitution shall not be construed as to deny or disparage those other natural rights and liberties herein unmentioned.

Article I. The Legislative Power
1. All legislative powers granted herein shall be vested in the Assembly of the North Lincoln. The Assembly shall be composed of a number of delegates elected every second month by the entire body of eligible voters. No person shall be a delegate who is not a registered voter of this Region.

2.  In all elections for the Assembly, the number of delegates to be elected shall be determined according to the number of declared candidates contesting the election. If five four or fewer candidates appear on the ballot, then three delegates will be elected; but if six five or more candidates appear on the ballot, five will be elected; but if nine or more candidates appear on the ballot, seven will be elected.

3. The Assembly shall have the power to determine its own methods of proceedings, to elect its Speaker and other officers, and to judge the qualifications of its members. No Regional officer shall be refused the right to introduce legislation in the Assembly, nor shall any rule be made disbarring a group of two or more citizens from exercising the same privilege. nor shall the Assembly assign legislative slots based on party registration or whether one supports the majority coalition.

4. Every bill passed by the Assembly, before it becomes law, shall first be sent to the Governor. If he approves of it, he should sign it and it will become law; but if he disapproves he may veto it, and it shall be returned to the Assembly. If the Assembly then passes the same bill again by a four fifths two-thirds vote, it shall become law regardless of the opinion of the Governor. If the Governor fails to either sign or veto a bill within 120 hours of its passage, it shall become law.

5. The Assembly may, by a four fifths vote, impeach the Governor for gross negligence or criminal acts; but the Governor shall not be convicted without the concurrence of four fifths of the members present, and the penalty for his conviction shall not exceed removal from office and disbarment from holding any office under this Region for eighteen months.

6. Whenever a vacancy should occur in the composition of the Assembly, the Governor shall appoint a replacement to fill the unexpired term. If the vacancy arises fewer than 336 hours before the commencement of the next regularly scheduled election, the appointed delegate shall serve the remainder of the present term; otherwise, they shall serve only until a new delegate may be elected. Vacancies occur upon resignation, recall, impeachment, failure to swear in within one week of the legislative session’s opening, or failure to vote on four final passage of six consecutive pieces of legislation without publicly declaring absence, or failure to participate in Assembly debate for one month. In the event of a tie in a legislative vote, the Governor shall have the power to break the tie.

Article II. The Executive Power
1. The executive power shall be vested in the Governor of the Northern Lincoln Region.

2. The Governor shall be elected every fourth month by the entire body of eligible voters. No person shall be Governor who is not a registered voter of this Region, nor who has been a citizen thereof for fewer than 720 hours.

3. The Governor shall have the power to carry out all acts in association with the enforcement of the laws passed under this Constitution; to fill vacancies in the Assembly; to command the militia in times of war; to appoint, with the consent of the Assembly, the heads of any executive departments which may be established by law [except that there may be no more than 3 such executive departments];  to issue pardons and reprieves for crimes committed under the laws of this Region, which shall be permanent upon their issuance, though he shall have no power to pardon himself; to appoint, in accordance with Article V of the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, the Associate Justice for this Region; and to approve, or veto, all acts passed by the Assembly.

4. The governor shall appoint the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth, who shall act as president of the Assembly in the absence of a Speaker, and who shall likewise administer all elections and referendums mandated by this Constitution, except where otherwise stated herein. No person shall be Lieutenant Governor who is not a registered voter of this Commonwealth, nor who is not a sitting delegate in the Assembly. Should the Governor, by reason of death, impeachment, recall, or resignation, become unable to execute the duties of his office, then the Lieutenant Governor shall become Acting Governor until a new governor may be elected. If there is no Lieutenant Governor at the time of the vacancy, then the Speaker of the Assembly shall become Acting Governor. If there is neither a Lieutenant Governor nor a Speaker at the time of the vacancy, the delegate with the longest continuous service in the Assembly shall become Acting Governor. The person serving as Acting Governor need not vacate their post in the Assembly, but they shall have no vote in its proceedings and shall exercise no administrative powers over it so long as they continue to exercise the powers of governor.

Article III. The People
1. The people of the Northern Region may initiate the recall of any officer of this Region, except the Associate Justice of the Circuit Court, by delivering to the Lt. Governor a petition stating the reason for recall and signed by one quarter fourth of the total population of the Region. The Lt. Governor shall then open the voting booth, according to the rules and regulations for elections set forth in this Constitution; but if the officer to be recalled is the Lt. Governor, then the Speaker of the Assembly shall open the voting booth. The ballot question shall be, “Shall [A.B.] be recalled from the office of [name of the office held]?” A vote of “YES” shall be considered a vote for recall; a vote of “NO” shall be considered a vote against recall. Abstentions will not affect the results. Recalled officers shall forfeit their offices immediately.

2. Whenever the Assembly shall be equally divided over any bill, order, or resolution, the Governor may choose to refer the issue to the people. Accordingly, the Lt. Governor shall call a referendum on the proposal, with the ballot question “Shall [name of bill, followed by text] be made law?” A vote of “YES” shall be considered a vote for passage; a vote of “NO” shall be considered a vote against passage. Abstentions will not affect the results. Referred legislation shall immediately become law upon its passage by the people.

Article IV. The Senate
1. Elections for the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia shall be conducted at regular intervals, in the months prescribed by the Constitution thereof. Senators shall be elected by a direct vote of the people, and no person eligible to vote in elections for Governor and Assembly shall be denied the right to vote for Senator. Should a vacancy occur in the representation of this Region in the Senate, the Governor shall appoint an Acting Senator to serve until a replacement may be elected. Special elections for the Senate shall begin on the Friday following the creation of the vacancy; but if the vacancy shall occur on a Wednesday or Thursday, the special election shall begin on the second Friday following the creation of the vacancy. Senators who are elected in a regularly scheduled election shall take office on the first day of the next session of Congress. Senators elected in a special election shall take office immediately upon election.

Article V. Elections

1. The right to vote in all elections and referendums called according to the provisions of this Constitution shall be exclusive to those persons being eligible to vote in elections for President of the Republic of Atlasia who have been registered to vote in one of the states of this Region for a period of at least seven (7) days prior to the commencement of the election.

2. Voters shall be permitted to edit their ballots until 20 minutes after posting them in the voting booth, but may not delete their ballots. No voter shall edit their ballot after the official end of the voting period. All elections and referendums of this Region shall be administered by the Lt. Governor. Whenever the Lt. Governor is unable to execute this duty,  the Governor shall, and if both are unable to do so, the Speaker of the Assembly shall administer the election.

3. Elections for Governor shall be held in the months of February, June, and October. Elections for Assembly shall be held in the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December.

4. Candidates for Governor, Assembly, and federal Senate must declare their candidacy in the appropriate thread by 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Standard Time, on the Wednesday preceding the election in order to appear on the ballot. Except in December, all elections for Governor, Assembly, and federal Senate shall begin on the penultimate Friday of the given month. In December, all elections shall begin on the second Friday of the month.

5. All special elections for Governor and Assembly shall begin on the Friday following the creation of the vacancy to be filled; but if the vacancy shall occur on a Wednesday or Thursday, the special election shall begin on the second Friday following the creation of the vacancy. The appropriate election administrator shall open the voting booth at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Standard Time.

6. Voting shall continue for 72 hours, and no vote cast more than 72 hours after the voting booth was opened shall be considered valid. The election administrator must accept any absentee ballots cast no more than 168 hours prior to the commencement of the election. Following the expiration of the voting period, the election administrator shall have 24 hours to produce a tally of the votes cast and to announce the persons elected. All elections shall be by single transferable vote, unless otherwise specified by law. The terms of the elected Governor and delegates shall begin at 12:00:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, on the Thursday Tuesday following their election.

7. Prior to assuming office, all officers shall swear the following oath: “I, [A.B.], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of [state office name] and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitutions of the Northern Lincoln Region and the Republic of Atlasia.” All referendums on referred legislation, proposed amendments to this Constitution, and proposed amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia shall begin on the first Friday following their passage by the appropriate body; but if the passage shall occur on a Thursday, the referendum shall begin on the second Friday following passage. All recall elections shall begin on the first Friday following the receipt of the valid petition for recall; but if the petition is received on a Thursday, the recall election shall begin on the second Friday following receipt.

8. The appropriate election administrator shall open the voting booth at 12:00:00 AM, Eastern Standard Time. Voting shall continue for 72 hours, and no vote cast more than 72 hours after the voting booth was opened shall be considered valid. In all referendums, a “YES” vote shall be considered a vote in favor of passing the referendum and a “NO” vote shall be considered a vote against passing the referendum. Abstentions shall not affect the results of the referendum. In all cases, a simple majority of those voting “YES” or “NO” shall be required to pass the referendum, unless otherwise stated in the referendum's text.

Article VI. Amendments

1. The Assembly shall have the power to propose amendments to this Constitution by a two thirds vote of its members;Whenever the total body of delegates should be five in number, a two thirds of all sitting delegates vote shall be sufficient to propose amendments; but when the number of delegates should be three, a unanimous vote of all sitting delegates shall be required. Amendments shall become operative following their ratification by a public referendum. The Region shall ratify amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia by public referendum.

Article VII. Implementation

1. The assent of a three fifths of the voting citizens of this Region on a weekend [Friday-Sunday] when there is no other separately polled amendment or referendum up for a vote shall be sufficient to ratify this Constitution. Following the ratification of this Constitution, the president of the Legislative Committee shall organize the election of a Governor and Assembly to serve until the regularly scheduled October elections. The seat of government shall be determined by a referendum conducted alongside the vote mandated by Section 1 of this Article, and once established shall not be changed but by the method prescribed for the amendment of this Constitution.

F. This Amendment shall only be considered ratified if a 3/5 majority of the region votes in its favor. If such vote would ordinarily take place during a weekend [Friday-Sunday] in which another regional amendment or referendum is also scheduled for a vote, then it shall be postponed until a weekend [Friday-Sunday] in which no other regional amendment or referendum is also scheduled for a vote.

PROMISES MADE. PROMISES KEPT.

[S019]

Given the unfortunate legislation in the South, we need to reaffirm our support for our most vulnerable residents:

I. TITLE: This bill shall be known as the "Lincoln Is A Place for All Act."

II: OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS DESERVE A CHANCE TO WORK

A. Section 7 of Title 11 of the Consolidated Laws of Lincoln Omnibus Act is hereby repealed in its entirety and the rest of the legislation shall be renumbered accordingly.

III: PROTECTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE

A. No municipality, county, or state in the region of Lincoln shall be required to comply with federal law enforcement in nonviolent immigration cases

B. Local law enforcement may not cooperate with federal authorities, if they are forbidden to by legislation passed by the local government in the area of their jurisdiction

IV: FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT IS UNFAIR

A. Any cases of violent criminals shall be dealt with as criminal cases by local law enforcement, only if a guilty verdict is reached, may federal law enforcement get involved and begin deportation proceeding

V: Implementation

A. This law will begin to be implemented immediately after being signed by the Governor and will be fully implemented after two years.

[KaiserDave]

Section 5 of L.C. 6.21 is amended as follows

Section 5. LincolnRail

(a) In general. —

The Lincoln Department of Transportation and Infrastructure shall create and manage a new high-speed rail transport company called LincolnRail.

(b) Purpose. —

The Lincoln Department of Transportation and Infrastructure shall be tasked with designing rail routes across the region which service major cities.

(c) Routes. —

There shall be eight routes —
(1) Route One, which shall go from Portland (ME) to Philadelphia (PA), with stops in Boston (MA), Providence (RI), Hartford (CT), and New York City (NY);
(2) Route Two, which shall go from New York City (NY) to Chicago (IL), with stops in Harrisburg (PA), Pittsburgh (PA), Columbus (OH), and Indianapolis (IN);
(3) Route Three, which shall connect Fort Wayne (IN) to New York City (NY), with stops in Cleveland (OH), Buffalo (NY), Rochester (NY), Syracuse (NY), and Albany (NY); and
(4) Route Four, which shall connect Detroit (MI), Fort Wayne (IN), and Indianapolis (IN).
(5) Route Five, which shall connect Ashtabula (OH) to Evansville (IN) with stops in Youngstown (OH), Steubenville (OH), Lancaster (OH), Bloomington (OH), and Jasper (IN)
(6) Route Six, which shall connect Houlton (ME) to Albany (NY), with stops in Augusta (ME), Manchester (NH), and Burlington (VT)
(7) Route Seven, which shall connect Cheboygan (MI) to Cincinnati (OH) with stops in Mount Pleasant (MI), Lansing (MI), Toledo (OH), and Lima (OH)
( 8 ) Route Eight, which shall connect Plattsburgh (NY) to Allentown (PA) with stops in Utica (NY), Binghamton (NY), and Scranton (PA)

[S019]

So, I realized we're in a shutdown due to our last budget expiring in September 2020, so here's a solution:

Continuing Resolution for Government of Lincoln

1. Funding for the Lincoln government shall remain at its current levels until a new budget resolution gets passed

2. This shall take effect immediately after being signed by the governor, and shall expire once the FY 2021 budget is signed by the Governor

[S019]

A BILL
To coordinate state efforts to establish a regional senior protection progam

Be it enacted by the Council of Lincoln

Section 1. Title

This legislation may be cited as the Scott's Safe Seniors Act.

Section 2. Establishment of regional Silver Alert network

i.) By March 31, 2021, all states and territories of the region must have established a Silver Alert program utilizing existing Amber Alert infrastructure for the effort of locating missing seniors and following recommendations per guidelines of the federal National Silver Alert Act.

ii.) No later than April 7, 2021, all states and territories must submit requests for matching grants to implement the program to the Atlasian Department of Justice.