S13: Amendment to Article IV, Sections 1-3 of the Southern Constitution

[fhtagn]

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Sponsor: JustinTimeCuber
Co-sponsor: West_Midlander

[JustinTimeCuber]

Oops I goofed up. Is there any objection to replacing January, May, and September with March, July, and November to align with the gubernatorial elections?

Anyway, this is intended as a means of increasing southern participation by making the Chamber elections more impactful. More later.

[fhtagn]

I have no issues with increasing the size of the Chamber, given that the South is large enough to support higher turnout and there is obviously a larger demand for candidates, but I am not sure how I feel about making the terms longer.

If someone can provide a good argument for why there should be fewer elections, I'm open to considering it.

[diptheriadan]

I have no issues with increasing the size of the Chamber, given that the South is large enough to support higher turnout and there is obviously a larger demand for candidates, but I am not sure how I feel about making the terms longer.

If someone can provide a good argument for why there should be fewer elections, I'm open to considering it.

Actually, my reasoning for decreasing the amount of elections was because I thought that it would allow the Chamber to do more. I was actually planning on introducing an amendment to the Rules or Constitution along with this that would have made it mandatory for the Chamber to go over and agree on the rules at the beginning of each session to avoid problems later.

I think a good allegory to our current situation would be the U.S. House. With elections happening every two years, they're basically campaigning/fundraising all the time. Making their terms longer would certainly help with that.

[West_Midlander]

I have no issues with increasing the size of the Chamber, given that the South is large enough to support higher turnout and there is obviously a larger demand for candidates, but I am not sure how I feel about making the terms longer.

If someone can provide a good argument for why there should be fewer elections, I'm open to considering it.

Actually, my reasoning for decreasing the amount of elections was because I thought that it would allow the Chamber to do more. I was actually planning on introducing an amendment to the Rules or Constitution along with this that would have made it mandatory for the Chamber to go over and agree on the rules at the beginning of each session to avoid problems later.

I think a good allegory to our current situation would be the U.S. House. With elections happening every two years, they're basically campaigning/fundraising all the time. Making their terms longer would certainly help with that.

[JustinTimeCuber]

I have no issues with increasing the size of the Chamber, given that the South is large enough to support higher turnout and there is obviously a larger demand for candidates, but I am not sure how I feel about making the terms longer.

If someone can provide a good argument for why there should be fewer elections, I'm open to considering it.

Actually, my reasoning for decreasing the amount of elections was because I thought that it would allow the Chamber to do more. I was actually planning on introducing an amendment to the Rules or Constitution along with this that would have made it mandatory for the Chamber to go over and agree on the rules at the beginning of each session to avoid problems later.

I think a good allegory to our current situation would be the U.S. House. With elections happening every two years, they're basically campaigning/fundraising all the time. Making their terms longer would certainly help with that.

[fhtagn]

I have no issues with increasing the size of the Chamber, given that the South is large enough to support higher turnout and there is obviously a larger demand for candidates, but I am not sure how I feel about making the terms longer.

If someone can provide a good argument for why there should be fewer elections, I'm open to considering it.

Actually, my reasoning for decreasing the amount of elections was because I thought that it would allow the Chamber to do more. I was actually planning on introducing an amendment to the Rules or Constitution along with this that would have made it mandatory for the Chamber to go over and agree on the rules at the beginning of each session to avoid problems later.

I think a good allegory to our current situation would be the U.S. House. With elections happening every two years, they're basically campaigning/fundraising all the time. Making their terms longer would certainly help with that.

Okay empty quote-ception.

Anyway, seems reasonable enough to me.

[JustinTimeCuber]

Yeah, so diptheriadan stole my argument, but I'll reiterate that this would increase interest in the South by making the elections more impactful. Currently, the chamber has little time to get much done, increasing the time per session would add more of a way to get things done and I believe would create more interest.

A chamber size of 7 is seeming less unreasonable as we have so many candidates this time. Of course this wouldn't happen every time, which is why if there are 7 or fewer candidates the chamber would only contain 5 members like normal.

Anyway, is there unanimous consent for my amendment or do we need to vote on it?

[fhtagn]

I'm fine with it.

If there are no objections,  I can call for a final vote.

[JustinTimeCuber]

No objection.

Just to be very clear, the amendment is adopted, am I correct?

[fhtagn]

No objection.

Just to be very clear, the amendment is adopted, am I correct?

Whoops. Forgot to call a vote on that lol.
I have no issues with it, so if everyone else has no objections, we can vote on the final bill with amendments for elections taking place the same time as gubernatorial elections.

[diptheriadan]

Wait, what amendment?

[fhtagn]

Wait, what amendment?

He wanted to change the election months to line up with gubernatorial elections.

[JustinTimeCuber]

If there are no objections, this would be the updated text of the amendment, given my amendment (because we have to have up to date text or something)

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[President Punxsutawney Phil]

no objection

[ZuWo]

Just popping in to give my two cents as a private citizen: I think it's a bad idea to have fewer elections in a game like Atlasia. In my experience, Atlasia has always and first and foremost been an election simulation game. Elections create excitement, even more so than parliamentary debates.

[ZuWo]

May I interpret the triple quote of my post as an expression of enthusiastic agreement?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

May I interpret the triple quote of my post as an expression of enthusiastic agreement?

What if we took the middle ground and had terms for three months instead of four or two?

[fhtagn]

May I interpret the triple quote of my post as an expression of enthusiastic agreement?

What if we took the middle ground and had terms for three months instead of four or two?

I think it seems reasonable.

[JustinTimeCuber]

May I interpret the triple quote of my post as an expression of enthusiastic agreement?

Haha. Atlas is weird sometimes.

Anyway, I'm okay with making it 3 months as long as we change the governor's term as well.

[fhtagn]

May I interpret the triple quote of my post as an expression of enthusiastic agreement?

Haha. Atlas is weird sometimes.

Anyway, I'm okay with making it 3 months as long as we change the governor's term as well.

No issue with shorter terms for Governor from me

[JustinTimeCuber]

May I interpret the triple quote of my post as an expression of enthusiastic agreement?

Haha. Atlas is weird sometimes.

Anyway, I'm okay with making it 3 months as long as we change the governor's term as well.

No issue with shorter terms for Governor from me

neveRagaInP

Although really it wouldn't affect him unless he wins re-election.

I'll post the amendment text shortly so we can either agree to it out vote on it, and then vote on the final text.

[fhtagn]

May I interpret the triple quote of my post as an expression of enthusiastic agreement?

Haha. Atlas is weird sometimes.

Anyway, I'm okay with making it 3 months as long as we change the governor's term as well.

No issue with shorter terms for Governor from me

neveRagaInP

Although really it wouldn't affect him unless he wins re-election.

I'll post the amendment text shortly so we can either agree to it out vote on it, and then vote on the final text.

[ZuWo]

I appreciate the willingness to compromise but I must say I'm not convinced any changes in the length of representatives' tenure is necessary at all. From all I've ever experienced in Atlasia at both the regional and the federal level, two months are enough to get meaningful legislation passed.

That said, I support the flexible legislature size amendment. We had a similar clause back in the old days of the Mideast region and it made for exciting, and sometimes unpredictable elections.

[JustinTimeCuber]

This would also be lowering the governor's term too though, so it's not just a term increase.

Here's the text of the amendment I'm proposing:

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