1597-1598 Nyland General Assembly

[Hadash]

The current President is: Roxanne Hall-Dietrich(Flo)
The current Speaker of the Assembly is: Emma Nystroem (Hadash)


1597-98 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions



CDA (CSC) 107 | MCN (CSC) 100 | UP 85 | NL 75 | NKR 60 | PCP 57 | NCP 23 | NPA 20

Bill Posting Period is CLOSE

Emergency Sessions: None


HEAR ye, hear ye, the 1597-98 session of the Nyland Federal Assembly is now in session. All Honourable Assemblypersons, do please take your seats for role-call.

Within these halls, all legislative decisions for Nyland shall take place. Anyone from any party shall be allowed to present legislation for consideration, but only one bill may be active upon the floor for debate and vote at any one time. Furthermore, during debate, one must clearly state who is being recognized to speak on the floor, their party (if applicable), and then put forth their statement or argument for or against the bill and other points of discussion; one may refer to others arguments if they so desire, but they shall refrain from direct outbursts on the floor without having been called to the floor to speak.


The Rules
This is meant to be a fun thing where anyone can pop in as an assemblyperson of Nyland's legislature, and legislation by no means has to remain serious or solemn. There are a few basic rules to consider, however:

1) Legislation for the period can only be presented during an open period for submittal. The status of the Bill Submittal period is located above. If you miss the posting period, tough shit; hold onto it for later.
2) Submitted Bills are first-come, first-served. If emergency stuff happens, such as natural disaster or a state of war, a separate thread will be created. (No more Tambossa-style "vote only" unless time is really, really of the essence)
3) There are no time limits on debate. If the session ends before debate finishes, or we don't get through the queue of bills, then tough shit, it's gone; remake it in the next session.
4) To move for a vote, two people must motion for a vote. Voting will then begin in this thread, with people posting whether they vote for or against, and which party they represent.
5) After a bill moves to a vote, there is no revote; will not be re-submitted until the next session.
6) Votes will be weighted by party, and the party's votes split based upon those who recognize themselves as from such party. Individual people may of course split their alloted votes amongst (yes), (no) and (abstain) if they so wish.
7) Any Bill that passes a vote, regardless of how trivial or silly, will move to the President's Desk for consideration; the President must post his approval/denial in this thread.
8) Any bill denied by the President may still become law with a 2/3 majority in favor in the legislature; any bill approved by the President is in immediate effect and becomes law throughout Nyland.

God help us all.

Submissions
If one so wishes to put forth legislation, please proceed through the following steps:

1) Complete the following form:

Show ContentYou Complete Me:

Code:

[table][tr][td][align=center][font=Perpetua][size=xx-large]Name of Bill or Act[/size][/font][/align][/td][/tr][tr][td][align=center][font=Perpetua][size=large]Assembly Bill ----.---[/size][/font][/align][/td][/tr][tr][td][font=Perpetua][size=medium][b]Drafted by:[/b] (The person, party, or organization that drafted the legislation.)
[b]Submitted by:[/b] (Name and party (if applicable) of the person or persons submitting the legislation to the floor.)
[b]Submit Date:[/b] (Date submitted to be heard on the floor. (answer this))
[b]Hearing Date:[/b] (Date the bill was heard on the floor. (leave blank))
[b]Revision Date:[/b] (Latest revision date of the bill. (leave blank))
[size=xx-large][/size]
[b][u]Summary[/u]:[/b]
This is a quick summary of what is included in the legislation. This should be no more than a single paragraph. Pretend you're writing an abstract or somesuch.
[size=xx-large][/size]
[u][b]Section #:[/b] Section Title[/u]
This is where the parts of the bill are explained. each section must pertain to one specific thing; if the bill addresses something else, add another section (you can use as many as you want/need). Please use plain, yet clear, English; there's no need to go into fancy legalese, and there's no requirement for length and such, as long as you've written all you feel needs said on the subject.[/size][/font][/td][/tr][/table]

2) Post form in a reply to this thread, during an open submission period; legislation is first-come, first-served.

Show ContentLegislation Being Heard (on the floor):

Show ContentSubmitted Legislation (to be heard):

Show ContentLegislation Passed or Failed:

High Speed Rail Act

Previous Sessions

1595-1596 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions
1593-1594 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions
1585-1586 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions
1583-1584 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions
1581-1582 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions
1579-1580 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions
1577-1578 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions
1575-1576 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions
1573-1574 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions
1571-1572 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions
1569-1570 Nyland Federal Assembly Sessions
[/quote]

[Flo]

High Speed Rail Act
Assembly Bill 1597.001
Drafted by: Marshall Steenman (CSC), Henriette Anhuos (CSC), Andrew Jeurgen (CSC) Submitted by: Submit Date: Hearing Date: Revision Date: Summary: This bill secures the funding for construction of a $750B high speed railway network across Nyland. It also establishes the Nyland High Speed Rail Authority to manage and run the network prior to and after completion. Section I: High Speed Rail THIS LEGISLATURE SHALL APPROVE THE FUNDING TO PLAN, CONSTRUCT, AND OPERATE A HIGH SPEED RAIL NETWORK ACROSS THE NATION OF NYLAND. Section II: Nyland HSR Authority THE CREATION OF A HIGH SPEED RAIL COMPANY (NYLAND HSR AUTHORITY) SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO MANAGE AND RUN THE NETWORK AND ENSURE IT PERFORMS ITS DUTIES TO THE CITIZENS OF NYLAND. THE NYLAND HSR AUTHORITY WILL ALSO MANAGE THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS ON BEHALF OF THE LEGISLATURE. Section III: Time Table THE NETWORK WILL BE COMPLETED AND READY FOR SERVICE BY THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR 1625. SERVICE CAN BEGIN PRIOR TO 1625 IF LINES ARE FINISHED. Section IV: Amount THE APPROVED FUNDING FOR THIS INITIATIVE WILL BE 750 BILLION DOLLARS. THIS AMOUNT IS THE REQUESTED MAXIMUM TOTAL ALLOTMENT FROM THIS AND ANY FUTURE YEARS' BUDGETS. THERE IS A LEGAL GUARANTEE THAT THIS FUNDING WILL BE AVAILABLE. FUNDING WILL BE DISPENSED EACH YEAR BASED ON A PLAN SUBMITTED TO THE ASSEMBLY BY THE NYLAND HSR AUTHORITY. SHOULD ADDITIONAL FUNDING BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT, THE ASSEMBLY MUST APPROVE IT AFTER REVIEWING THE CIRCUMSTANCES INVOLVED TO CREATE ADDITIONAL FUNDING NEEDS AND DECIDING WHETHER ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS REQUIRED.(Amendment, Kow - MCN

[Hadash]

Speaker Emma Nystroem: Assembly Bill 1597.001, High Speed Rail Act, is on the floor. The representative of the CSC group is invited to start the debate about the proposal.

[Flo]

Marshall Steenman (CSC): Thank you Madame Speaker. This is a bill to establish a new high speed rail system in our fair country. To connect corner to corner and edge to edge.

Specifically, we're looking to connect three primary hubs: The Nykoping-Nyvattendel megalopolis, the northwestern coast, and the Flaleandshem metro region. Something roughly like this:

https://imgur.com/a/eJWZLQd
(OOC: imagine this is less crude looking)

It's going to connect Nyland like Nyland has never been connected before. It's going to be cheaper and cleaner than air travel. It's going to be great, and we can do it for around $750 billion dollars over the next decade or two. 

Our hope is to have the Nykoping-Nyvattendel portion done first, get the other two done, and then link them together.

[Seperallis]

Paolo Tornetta - NL

My concern is that what we have is a $750 Billion daler pipe dream. There are too many variables not addressed, and yet we’re expected to throw this exorbitant amount at a lump of hope and a few maybes.

Now to be clear, high speed rail does make sense for connecting our dense urban communities, and would be a great driver in freeing people to live farther from these expensive work hubs. However, have the states, cities, counties, has anyone consulted on this project? Any feasibility studies, or polls on potential demand?

When Kohout came to this chamber with a multi-trillion daler bill, he did so after consulting state and local offices for their needs, and so the plan filled those real and demonstrable needs. These projects work best when there’s a proven need, yet this is not shown in either market or local petition. This hasn’t been newsworthy, or planned policy.

This entire bill is a long shot on goal by the government to put its name on a large-profile project simply to say it did “something”, a hallmark initiative to be remembered by. Where Kohout had infrastructure and healthcare and military modernizations, and Harrow had fundamental tax reform, and Morgen had...well...anyway, Madame President and her government seem to want to be immortalized in a national rail project.

If you want money for a rail study, you can have it. If states decide they want help funding such a plan, then we can give them help. But I’m not signing off on essentially a blank check from the taxpayer for a few “maybes.”

At least give me a plan to make a plan.

[Flo]

Henriette Anhuos (CSC):

I would like to reiterate the comments made by my colleague Mr.  Steenman and emphasize the value this project will add to Nyland in terms of connecting our very large country in a way not yet done. This is a bold bill, and one that deserves our support. 

I would also like to respond to the comments made by my colleague from the Nyland Liberalists. There are, in fact, feasibility studies for a project like this though I should acknowledge that a majority of these studies have been done on smaller lines. For what we've learned from those studies, there is high demand in the three hubs my colleague Mr. Steenman described. What we seek to do is build significantly in those hubs specifically, and then link them up. We won't be running as many trains across the country and the focus will be on the hubs, especially early on. 

Referring to your comments on the market and demand. Anyone who spends time commuting, or knows anyone who is commuting, in the Nykoping area, can acknowledge there is plenty of demand for travelling intermediate distances around the city. Flights from Nykoping to Nyvattendel are scheduled multiple times an hour during peak commuting times. 

We've been in communication with state departments of transportation as well as the federal DOT. The mayor of Nykoping practically begged us to get this done. 

I understand it is in a Liberalists nature to be afraid of government action, but reducing our efforts to "a few maybes" is a bit far-fetched.

[Seperallis]

Ho-Lee Kow (CSC)

For the sake of legal and legislative clarity, I'd like to motion an amendment to the act as written. This amendment should change Section 4 to express that the requested $750 billion daler is a requested maximum total allotment from this and future years' budgets. That is, the full amount isn't requested up front, but is simply a legal guarantee that necessary funding requested for the project will be made available. It is an open-ended amount, but is in no way is it some blank check, as it doesn't waive the government from its due diligence in making sure the funds are spent wisely and appropriately.

[Seperallis]

Anno Therone (UP)

I, for one, don't feel dropping $750 billion all at once for what is ostensibly many different projects to be all that wise or diligent. The plans and the various scopes of the project make it clear that this is actually many smaller projects, so why not fund it as such? Allocate and vote upon funding for one section and another, instead of one single honeypot.

[Seperallis]

Astrad Bengtsson (NL)

This is all ridiculous; the government has no business nor experience in operating trains, but you want to effectively set up a nationwide train system, and, being high-speed rail, one that demands flawless scheduling and reliability.

But beyond this, this isn't 1490 anymore: the country isn't vast swathes of empty that the government can do with whatever as it pleases and build great megaprojects. Legal challenges will abound, from landowners angry and refusing to sell their rightful spits of land to tree-hugging hippies within the centrist camp's own wing angry at your wanton disregard for the Spicy Nutmuncher or whatever other whats-its live out in the locations of all these connecting lines.

This entire project is going to be nothing but a great pit of problems for Nyland for decades and beyond.

[Seperallis]

Paolo Tornetta - NL

This entire debate is far past deadline and should be abandoned for this term, anyway, per the rules of this Assembly. I submit a formal complaint against this blatant disregard for protocol.