SB 28-22: High Speed Rail Act (Debating)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

What?

What do you mean what?

[Sestak]

What?

What do you mean what?

Why is a bill that...I think everyone acknowledges to be incomplete being sent to final vote?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

What?

What do you mean what?

Why is a bill that...I think everyone acknowledges to be incomplete being sent to final vote?

It is not being sent to a final vote. I am trying to provoke responses.

Which clearly worked in that I bagged you.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Notice the "Let's Try this" in my post.

[SevenEleven]

I object. There's an important amendment in the works that needs more time still.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The motion is withdrawn.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I object. There's an important amendment in the works that needs more time still.

I appreciate the update.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

High Speed rail is a pointless vanity project that distracts from actual required infastructured. I will in no way support this bill and will work in the lincon legislature to oppose any such implementtion.

[Pericles]

I can't remember whether I implemented any model employer requirements, but more requirements for contracts in this bill would be good.

[Senator-elect Spark]

Contracting out should be explored.

[SevenEleven]

That's a good suggestion, I will try to work that in!

[Blair]

I did put in an amendment about contracting- specifically stopping companies getting it who blacklist trade union workers.

[Blair]

Offering the following amendment & hope it can be put into any larger amendments/changes in the future

AN ACT
To improve transport and connectivity across our nation.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

Section I. Title

i. The long title of this bill shall be the "Expansion of High Speed Rail and Mass Transit Act." It may be cited as the "High Speed Rail Act."

Section II. Definitions
i. High speed rail is defined as a railroad capable of supporting trains in excess of 120 mph.

Section III. Construction of High Speed Rail Arteries
i. A high speed railway shall be constructed along the western coast.
     a. The Department of Transportation should negotiate possible connections through Canada and Mexico.
ii. A high speed railway shall be constructed along the eastern coast.


Section IV. Creation of National Rail Authority
i. The National Rail Authority is hereby established under the Department of Transportation and tasked with the responsibility of overseeing construction, rail route development, and consumer-end transit program implementation.
ii. The National Rail Authority shall consist of members appointed by the President of Atlasia.
iii. The layout of the seaboard routes and placement of cross-country rail routes shall be the responsibility of the National Rail Authority.
iv. Congress shall retain the ability to legislate new routes or override the decisions of the National Rail Authority if necessary.

Section V (Fair Labour, Fair Work)

1.) No company that has undertaken the activity of blacklisting workers who belong to a trade union shall be eligible for any public contracts resulting from this legislation or paid through federal funds.

2.) In the procurement of any public works relating to this bill a preference shall be given for products and raw materials made within Atlasia.

Section VI. Appropriations
i. $80 billion shall be appropriated for the construction of new rail and adaptation of old rail for the creation of the seaboard routes- $10 billion of this shall be appropriated for upgrading of the Northeast Corridor High-Speed Rail Line.
ii. $250 million shall be appropriated for surveying and planning of cross-country rail routes.
iii. $3 billion shall be appropriated for the construction of connecting routes to off-route cities.
iv. $150 billion shall be released for construction of new rail and adaptation of old rail for the creation of cross country routes pending a finalized route plan from the National Rail Authority.
v. $8 billion shall be released for the construction of connecting routes to off-route cities pending a finalized route plan from the National Rail Authority.

[SevenEleven]

Amendment is friendly.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Going to call this for Falterin, Senators have 24 hours to object.

[Left Wing]

Okay I got a tad bit confused here with Yankee giving the 24 hour call and this ended up being a bit of an oversight .


Anyway, Final Vote is now open, please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[Left Wing]

Aye

[Senator-elect Spark]

Aye

[SevenEleven]

Aye.

[Left Wing]

By a vote of 3-0-0-3, this passes the senate

Aye: FalterinArc, Spark, SevenEleven
Nay:
Abstain:
Didn’t Vote: Yankee, Blair, Pericles

[Left Wing]

AN ACT
To improve transport and connectivity across our nation.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

Section I. Title

i. The long title of this bill shall be the "Expansion of High Speed Rail and Mass Transit Act." It may be cited as the "High Speed Rail Act."

Section II. Definitions
i. High speed rail is defined as a railroad capable of supporting trains in excess of 120 mph.

Section III. Construction of High Speed Rail Arteries
i. A high speed railway shall be constructed along the western coast.
     a. The Department of Transportation should negotiate possible connections through Canada and Mexico.
ii. A high speed railway shall be constructed along the eastern coast.


Section IV. Creation of National Rail Authority
i. The National Rail Authority is hereby established under the Department of Transportation and tasked with the responsibility of overseeing construction, rail route development, and consumer-end transit program implementation.
ii. The National Rail Authority shall consist of members appointed by the President of Atlasia.
iii. The layout of the seaboard routes and placement of cross-country rail routes shall be the responsibility of the National Rail Authority.
iv. Congress shall retain the ability to legislate new routes or override the decisions of the National Rail Authority if necessary.

Section V. Appropriations
i. $80 billion shall be appropriated for the construction of new rail and adaptation of old rail for the creation of the seaboard routes.
$10 billion of this shall be appropriated for upgrading of the Northeast Corridor High-Speed Rail Line.
ii. $250 million shall be appropriated for surveying and planning of cross-country rail routes.
iii. $3 billion shall be appropriated for the construction of connecting routes to off-route cities.
iv. $150 billion shall be released for construction of new rail and adaptation of old rail for the creation of cross country routes pending a finalized route plan from the National Rail Authority.
v. $8 billion shall be released for the construction of connecting routes to off-route cities pending a finalized route plan from the National Rail Authority.

With a final tally of 5-2-0-2, this bill passes.
X SevenEleven
People's Regional Senate
Passed 3-0-0-3 in the Atlasian Senate Assembled

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Nay ftr

[Blair]

Aye ftr