Office of Southern Governor LouisvilleThunder

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Office of Governor LouisvilleThunder

Welcome to my office! This is the place where I will do my public business serving the great people of the South, and keep you updated on what's happening.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Executive Order #1
Tmthforu94 is appointed to serve as Southern Archivist.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Executive Order #2
Spark498 is appointed to serve as Class I Senator of the Southern Region.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature:

Southern COVID-19 Vaccination Act

Section 1: Vaccination Infrastructure
1. $2 billion shall be allocated from regional reserves for the purchase of the Moderna vaccine approved by the FDA.
2. $500 million shall be allocated to secure physical infrastructure to securely hold and distribute the vaccines.
3. Training shall begin immediately to ensure healthcare worked at distribution and holding locations are trained and capable to properly store and administer all vaccines.
4. The Southern Government shall set up and maintain a website that will provide vaccination resources to residents, included, but not limited to: distribution locations, reasons to get the vaccine and tracking on what percentage of residents in each state have received the vaccine.

Section 2: Distribution Priorities
1. The distribution of the vaccine shall be divided into phases to ensure it is dispersed based on importance and need:
a. Phase 1 - Front-line healthcare workers, ambulance drivers, cleaners, first responders and all individuals working at distribution and storage locations. Those determined to have underlying conditions that put them at a significantly higher risk, those with two or more chronic conditions, those aged 65 and above living in group living facilities, all individuals age 80 and over.
c. Phase 2- Critical workers in high risk situations, including: teachers, child care workers, all remaining healthcare workers, those with underlying conditions that put them at a moderately higher risk.
d. Phase 3 - All individuals working in the service and other industries whose job requires working at a physical location and all people living in prisons, jails and detention centers.
e. Phase 4 - All remaining Southern residents who opt in to take the vaccine.

Section 3: Advertising Campaign
1. $50 million shall be allocated from regional reserves to launch a public advertising campaign encouraging Southern citizens to get vaccinated according to what phase they qualify for.

Section 4: Implementation
1. This act is effective immediately upon passage.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature:

Southern COVID-19 Regulations Act

Section 1: School Regulations
1. All Southern Schools may operate in-person learning with the following conditions:
a. Masks must be worn at all times by students and staff, except when eating or drinking.
b. Social distancing practices must be encouraged at all times, with a minimum 6 feet apart rule enforced. Students and staff must regularly undergo temperature checks and must be sent home and participate virtually if temperature is deemed too high or if they are exhibiting other COVID-19 related symptoms.
c. In the event of a positive test from a student or staff member on-site, all operations must immediately move to virtual learning until affected areas have been cleaned and it is determined safe to return.
2. Repeated failure to comply with Section 1 of this act may result in loss of government funding.

Section 2: Business Regulations
1. Regional offices shall operate at a 50% capacity limit.
2. All Southern businesses may operate at 50% capacity with the following conditions:
a. Masks must be worn at all times by staff and guests, except when eating or drinking.
b. Social distancing practices must be encouraged at all times, with a minimum 6 feet apart rule enforced for separate parties.
3. These capacity restrictions shall be baseline numbers - local governments may adjust to a higher capacity percentage as needed based on the risk in their area.

Section 3: Implementation
1. This legislation shall go into effect immediately and will expire on March 31st, 2021, at which time, reauthorization by the legislature shall be required.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature:

Cherokee County Act

Section 1: Renaming Leinad County, GA
1. The Leinad Appreciation Act is hereby repealed.
2. Cherokee County, GA will receive $25,000 from the regional government to replace road signs.

Section 2: Implementation
1. This act is effective immediately upon passage.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

Supporting First-time Homeowners Act

Section 1 - Eligibility
1. Any individual in the Southern region may open an account with a financial institution and designate the account as a first-time home buyer savings account.
2. This account shall be used to cover eligible expenses for the purchase or construction of a primary residence located within the Southern region.
3. The designated beneficiary must be a first-time homeowner who has not been the primary owner of a residence previously.

Section 2 - Tax Benefit
1. The following limits shall apply:
a. The maximum contribution to an account in any tax year shall be $3,000 for an individual and $6,000 for a married couple filing a joint return.
b. the maximum amount of all contributions into an account in all tax years shall be $24,000 for an individual and $48,000 for a married couple filing a joint return.
c. the maximum total amount in an account shall be $50,000.
2. Individuals or married couples may claim a tax deduction for the total amount each year. The money may remain in the account for an unlimited duration.
3. Should the individual choose not to apply the funds of this account towards the purchase or construction of a home, the current income tax rate shall be applied to the account and a 10% penalty.

Section 3 - Implementation
1. The act shall go into effect beginning with the 2022 fiscal year.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature:

Fines Fairness Act

Section 1
The title of this law is the "Fines Fairness Act" or FF Act for short.

Section 2
1. No person shall have a driver's license revoked or suspended as a result of not paying fines or penalties to a local, state, federal, or the Southern government.
2. Section 1 shall not apply to those who are charged with or convicted of vehicular crimes.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and is waiting for your signature:

Southern National Guard Act
1. The Adjutant General's office is hereby established to administer federal-regional relations, internal and external security and the Southern National Guard.
2. The Adjutant General shall be lead the office and shall be appointed by the Governor without legislative consent.
3. All current defense forces regionally operated in the South shall be combined to form the Southern National Guard, including, army, air, naval, space and other defense forces. All state national guards shall remain intact.
4. The Governor shall have the authority to activate and regulate the Southern National Guard and specific state national guards as necessary for domestic and international threats, natural disasters or other purposes.
5. All components of this act shall be funded through the defense portion of the Southern Budget.
6. This act shall take effect immediately upon passage and signature by the Governor or other legislative process as outlined in the Southern constitution.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

Southern COVID-19 Regulations Act Part II

The Southern COVID-19 Regulations Act is reauthorized and amended to read as follows:

Section 1: School Regulations
1. All Southern Schools may operate in-person learning with the following conditions:
a. Social distancing practices must be encouraged at all times, with a minimum 3 feet apart rule enforced. Students and staff must regularly undergo temperature checks and must be sent home and participate virtually if temperature is deemed too high or if they are exhibiting other COVID-19 related symptoms.
b. In the event of a positive test from a student or staff member on-site, all operations must immediately move to virtual learning until affected areas have been cleaned and it is determined safe to return.
2. Repeated failure to comply with Section 1 of this act may result in loss of government funding.

Section 2: Business Regulations
1. All Southern businesses may operate at 100% capacity with the following conditions:
a. Social distancing practices must be encouraged at all times, with a minimum 3 feet apart rule enforced for separate parties.

Section 3: Implementation
1. This legislation shall go into effect immediately and supercede any prior legislation and shall expire on May 31, at which time, reauthorization by the legislature shall be required.
2. Any conflicting federal law shall supercede this act.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

A BILL FOR AN ACT
allowing Southern citizens, regardless of physical ability, to get around more freely

BE IT ENACTED BY THE SOUTHERN CHAMBER.

Section 1, TITLE.
1. The title of this Act shall be, the "Protect Handicapped Locomotion Act."

Section 2, TEXT.
1. No governing body under the authority of the Southern Region shall be permitted to establish a bikeway in a segment of public road right-of-way that results in the elimination or relocation of any vehicle parking spaces intended for the exclusive usage of handicapped persons.
2. No car within the Southern Region shall be permitted to park their car on a pedestrian walkway or sidewalk.
3. All public buses that operate within the Southern Region shall be fitted with at least one (1) seat and one (1) door that allows for passengers in wheelchairs to get on, ride, and get off the vehicle.
4. All buildings operated by the Southern Government with more than one (1) story are required to be fitted with an elevator system that can access all floors.

Section 3, CLAUSES.
1. This legislation shall take effect immediately after passage by the Southern Legislature.
2. §2.1 shall not apply for bike lanes that began construction before this bill passes the Southern Legislature.
3. Violation of §2.2 shall result in a $5 fine (per violation) inflicted upon the person the car is licensed to, given by the municipality’s police department.
4. Currently existing buses that do not abide by §2.3 shall be retrofitted to include a door and seat, with all expenses paid for by the Southern Government.
5. $35 million shall be taken out of the Southern Region's Budget each Fiscal Year, starting FY2022, to pay for §3.4.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Executive Order #3

As I have conducted full reading on the case and believe have seen sufficient evidence to believe that he is innocent of the crimes he has been convicted of, Henry Segura of Florida shall receive a full pardon of all charges dealt against him.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Executive Order #4

Executive Order #22 of the MB administration shall be overturned completely with Harrison, Arkansas regaining its former name.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

AN ACT
To give a right to repair products you own

Be it enacted by the Southern Chamber of Delegates

Section I. Title and Definitions
I. This bill may be known as the Right to Repair Act.
II. "Consumer electronic device" shall be defined as any item that uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification and rectification and is intended for everyday use.

Section II. Substance
I. Any person in the Southern region shall be allowed to repair or modify any electronic device in their ownership.
II. No business that offers repair services shall be barred from accepting a client with a consumer electronic device to be repaired.
III. All current regulations that only permit a means to repair a device or obtain repair parts through one of their authorized vendors or original equipment manufacturers (OEM) shall be considered null and unenforceable under Southern law. This shall not prevent businesses from voiding a warranty should a consumer opt out of using an authorized vendor.
IV. Nothing in this Act shall prevent authorized vendors or OEMs from providing repair services of their own.
V. This Act shall go into effect one week following the signing of this legislation by the Governor.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

AN ACT
To ban divisive race theory within local and the Southern Government and its affiliates

Be it enacted by the Southern Chamber of Delegates

Section I. Title

i. This bill may be known as the Southern Discriminatory Training Ban.

Section II. Substance
i. Any Southern regional, state, or local agency, or any entity receiving regional government funding, may not use diversity training which promotes racist concepts during training such as but not limited to that an “individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously” and that “any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex.”
ii. Section II-i shall apply to any businesses and corporations that hold contracts to provide goods or services to the Southern regional government. Any contract that remains in affect with a business that does not comply with this Act when it goes into effect will be terminated.
iii. This Act shall also apply to any educational institution which receives funding from any regional, state, or local government.

Section III. Enforcement
i. Any worker who is in a department with one of these trainings can whistleblower to an appropriate department for an official reprimand of whoever ordered said training.
ii. Said whistleblower can be granted a reward of up to $10,000 and any workers who experienced discomfort during the training can be granted compensation of up to $50 per hour of the training.
iii. All fines must come from any diversity sub department funding within the department that has stated racist training.
iv. Any diversity administrator hired by a department of the Southern government or state or local department has a salary cap equivalent to the annual average NPC state legislative salary.
v. This Act shall go into effect one week following the signing of this legislation by the Governor.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

AN ACT
To Build a Dam on the Meramec River for Purposes of Generating Hydroelectric Power and Controlling Flooding

Be it enacted by the Southern Chamber of Delegates

1.)  This Act shall be referred to as the Make Every River A Malleable Electricity Creator Act or MERAMEC Act

2.) An earth embankment hydroelectric dam will be created on the Meramec River near the town of Pacific, Missouri, and a smaller earth embankment hydroelectric dam will be created on the Big River near the town of Cedar Hill, Missouri, according to the plan proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1940s.

3.) All land owned by the Southern Region that borders the newly created reservoirs shall be sold to residential developers.

4.) Ameren Missouri shall be placed in charge of operating the hydroelectric dams upon completion. 50% of net profits from the dams will be dispersed to the Southern Government.

5.) The Southern Government will issue $650,000,000 in regional bonds to fund the construction of the dam over a 10 year period.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Executive Order #5

The hydroelectric dam that shall be constructed at the Meramec River under the MERAMEC Act is hereby named the Reagente Dam.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Executive Order #6

May 22, 2021 shall be a regional holiday celebrated across the South in honor of Senator North Carolina Yankee's birthday. All Southerners are encouraged to eat fried chicken with iced tea.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

AN ACT
To Make Automobiles Vroom on Autobahns

Be it enacted by the Southern Chamber of Delegates

1.)  This Act shall be referred to as the Make Automobiles Vroom on Autobahns Act or Southern MAVA Act.

2.) There shall be no maximum speed limit on Interstate Highways and other divided highways with four or more lanes in counties with average population densities of 200 persons or fewer per square mile. A recommended speed shall be posted of 90 Miles per Hour.

3.) The maximum speed limit that may be posted on two lane rural highways shall be 75 Miles per Hour.

4.) Individual States, localities, and the Governor are authorized to place lower speed limits on specific roads it deems necessary to protect public safety.

5.) Any State or Local ban on possessing or operating radar detector technology in private cars is hereby repealed.

6. To obtain a drivers license in the South, one must complete a first aid course.

7. Upon the completion of a regular oil change done on any motor vehicle in the South within the jurisdiction of an officially registered auto repair, maintenance, or service shop, there shall be an inspection of the vehicle to ensure that it is safe for use on the Autobahn.

8. Vehicles driving on Southern roads with speed limits above 100 mph are required to keep first aid kits in their vehicle.

9. It shall be illegal to talk on the phone while operating a vehicle on roads with speed limits above 100 mph

10. During a declared state of emergency, the Southern, state, local law enforcement and the Governor may authorize Southern roads to:

A) open the shoulders of the road to evacuating vehicles, as well as

B) reverse traffic patterns to create contraflow lanes for evacuating vehicles.

11. This Act shall take effect on June 1, 2021.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor the following bill has passed and is ready for your signature:

Universal Broadband Access Act

1.) Authorizes $32 Billion ($7 Billion each year from FY 2022 - FY 2025 and $4 Billion in FY 2026) to be spent in five years that shall be used to deploy secure and resilient broadband infrastructure for communities of all types (rural, suburban, or urban) throughout the Southern region which currently are underserved in terms of infrastructure, focusing on areas with poverty rates above the regional average. The funds are to be used efficiently and effectively and will be directed to the Governor's office. There the governor shall establish a commission that shall work in tandem with and coordinate with other regional agencies in order to ensure efficient usage of funds.

2.) Requires internet service providers whose networks are built with the new financial support appropriated in the bill to offer an affordable (to be defined by algorithms) service plan to every consumer.

3.) Guarantees the right of local governments, public-private partnerships, and cooperatives to deliver broadband service, which has lowered prices in many communities by providing competition to traditional broadband providers.

4.) Directs the Federal Communications Commission to collect data on prices charged for broadband service throughout the country and make that data widely available to other Federal agencies, researchers, and public interest groups, with appropriate privacy protections.

5.) Gives preference in the funds provided under the bill to certain broadband projects that will provide open access for additional providers to use taxpayer-funded infrastructure on fair terms to provide more options to consumers.

6.) Creates a new “dig once” provision to ensure better coordination of transportation and broadband infrastructure projects, while ensuring State flexibility and preventing unfunded mandates.

7.) Authorizes $500 Million to be spent in FY 2022 establish two new grant programs: the State Digital Equity Capacity Program, an annual grant program for states to create and implement comprehensive digital equity plans to help close gaps in broadband adoption and digital skills, and the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, which will further support these efforts through digital inclusion projects undertaken by individual organizations and local communities.

8.) Authorizes an additional $1 Billion to be spent over five years for the recently enacted Emergency Connectivity Fund through E-Rate to promote student connectivity, including funding for Wi-Fi on school buses so that students can be connected, which emphasis on rural areas.

9.) This bill is effective June 01, 2021

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bills have passed and are ready for your signature:

Banning Discriminatory Hiring Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Banning Discriminatory Hiring Act.”

Section II. Enforcement
i. This act applies to any corporate entity that conducts business in the Southern Region or is incorporated in the Southern Region
ii. Any corporate entity that conducts business in the Southern Region or is incorporated in the Southern region may not use race, ethnicity, religion, income, sex, gender, or political ideology as a factor in hiring.
iii. This bill shall not apply to non-profits or charities

Section III. Enforcement
i. Corporate entities found to violate this act by the Southern Attorney General shall be fined the larger of $1,000,000 or 1% of yearly revenues.
ii. Residents of the Southern Region shall retain a private right of action against corporate entities that violate this statute

Banning Racist Curriculum Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Banning Racist Curriculum Act”

Section II. Substance
i. No teacher, administrator, or other employee in any state agency, school district, open-enrollment charter school, or public school administration in the Southern Region shall require, or make part of a course the following concepts:
     1. one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex;
     2. an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously;
     3. an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex;
     4. members of one race or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex;
     5. an individual's moral character is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex;
     6. an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;
     7. any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex;
     8. meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist, or were created by a members of a particular race to oppress members of another race.

It is okay to use Plastic Utensils and Styrofoam Containers Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “It is okay to use Plastic Utensils and Styrofoam Containers Act”

Section II. Substance
i. Article III of the The Southern Environmental Act (S.19.4-3) is repealed, effective immediately.

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your signature

Defending Homeownership Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Defending Homeownership Act”

Section II. Substance
i. All minimum lot size limits for new homes in the Southern Region are henceforth outlawed. This should not be construed as undercutting any other housing regulations on local or state level.
ii. Investment companies and non-permanent resident non-citizen buyers face a special tax of fourty-five percent on all transations involving the purchase and sale of a home, except for multi-family housing units with at least 4 floors, and within the borders of a county with a population of over 400,000.
iii. All residents who can prove they own a residential property and whose annual income is 150% or less of the poverty line gets a deduction of ten percent off their overall tax bill.

Section III. Implementation

i. Article II in the previous section takes effect immediately upon this bill being signed into law, and the rest of this law takes effect on July 1, 2021.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Liberalize Rental Markets Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Liberalize Rental Markets Act”

Section II. Substance
i. The Tenant Protection Act (S.20.1-12) is repealed, effective immediately.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Southern Referendum Act

1. In the case of any bill there is taken a vote on in the Southern Chamber of Delegates in which no majority of total votes is reached (either "Yes" votes or "No" votes do not reach a majority due to abstentions), the bill is passed or denied instead as a part of a referendum. If an absolute majority of participating voters in that referendum votes either in favor or against that bill, then it gets sent directly to the governor's office.
2. The referendum would take place at the same time as the regional elections directly following the original vote inside the chamber, and sponsors and supporters, or opponents of the bill are encouraged to share their arguments as to why they think the bill is a good or bad idea.
    2A. The format of the referendum is as follows. After all previous questions regarding ballots for elected office, a section of the ballot is dedicated to referendums. In these sections, all bills eligible to be placed as referendums will be titled "[INSERT BILL NAME HERE]" + "Referendum". After this, a link to the bill inside the Southern Chamber is presented along with one paragraph describing what the bill does, one paragraph arguing for the bill, and one paragraph arguing against the bill. The writers of the paragraphs are the first paragraph is written by the person who introduced the bill and/or sponsored it. The second paragraph is written by the first person who voted "Aye!" (if someone did vote Aye, if nobody voted Aye then that paragraph isn't written) and the third paragraph is written by the first person who voted "Nay!" (if someone did vote Nay, if nobody voted Nay then that paragraph isn't written). Also, details about the vote of the bill which came to pass are given. An example is given below in section 2B, for better understanding. Maximum word counts for each paragraph are 200 words, no minimum word count. If nobody writes a paragraph, then that paragraph will not be written. The referendum will carry on though.
   2B.

The [INSERT BILL NAME HERE] Referendum

Link to Bill in Southern Chamber

If this referendum passes with a majority of participating voters choose "Aye" then the above bill passes and will be presented to the governor for signature. If a majority of participating voters choose "Nay" then the above bill is rejected and will not be presented to the governor for signature, and will not be signed into law.

This bill was sponsored by [Person A].

The vote in the Southern Chamber went as follows:

Aye!

Person A
Person B

Nay!

Person C
Person D

Abstain

Person E

Description of bill contents (written by Person A)

The bill will do [things].

Advocation for bill (written by Person B)

You should vote for this bill because [reasons].

Advocation against bill (written by Person C)

You should vote against this bill because [reasons].

3. This bill is effective August 01, 2021.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bill has passed and awaits your siganture:

End Rotten Boroughs Act

Section I. Title and Definitions
i. This bill may be known as the “End Rotten Boroughs Act”
ii. Voter Eligible Population” (VEP) is defined as the citizen population and permanent resident population, as well as all those with a currently valid immigrant visa as defined by the Atlasian Department of State on this website (https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM050201.html), that is not barred from voting on account of incarceration or mental incompetence.

Section II. Substance
i. All legislative districts in the Southern Region shall be drawn to have equal Voter Eligible Populations – allowing for up to a ten percent total deviation.
ii. The Southern Attorney General’s Office shall compile VEP data utilizing federal census data and Southern administrative records. This VEP data shall be compiled at least yearly and produced at the census block level.
iii.  Upon the production of the first set of VEP data, all governments within the Southern regional shall immediately redraw legislative boundaries to comply with this act. Thereafter, legislative boundaries must be redrawn at least once every decade.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Governor, the following bills have passed and await your signature:

Combatting Prostitution Act

Section I. Title
i. This bill may be known as the “Combatting Prostitution Act”

Section II. Substance
i. The Ho's Gotta Grind Act (S.19.1-26) is repealed, effective immediately.

DamN it! Act

1. Planning for construction then construction are to begin immediately on the following three projects listed:
  1A. Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 3 - Somervell County, TX - 1700 MW - Price estimate $7.5 Billion
  1B. Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 4 - Somervell County, TX - 1700 MW - Price estimate $7.5 Billion
  1C. Clinch River Four Units of SMR - Oak Ridge, TN - Price estimate $900 Million each ($3.6 Billion total) - 180 MW each (720 total)
  1D. Expanded Wolf Creek Dam and Reservoir - Russell County, KY - Ohio River - Price estimate $20 Billion - 4800 MW
  1E. TimTurner Gravity Dam and Reservoir - Wichita County, TX - Red River - Price estimate $24 Billion - 4800 MW
2. Funds Allocated will be $1 Billion in FY 2021. After FY 2021, 20% of the remaining budget surplus (if there is a budget surplus, if there is no budget surplus nothing goes) will be allocated for these projects above every year indefinitely.
3. The governor's office shall create and sustain a "Dam funding commission" which shall ensure efficient usage of funds.