2005 Puerto Rican Statehood Bill

[MAS117]

This bill is utterly stupid with the VI in it. Unless this bill is amended to read that the Puerto Ricans vote for statehood I intend to vote nay and filibuster this bill. I will not have this Senate force statehood on a island that has voted NO for statehood over 3 times in the past. And if they voted "None of the Above" that's still NO Sen. Jedi.

[Sam Spade]

I agree with my colleague MAS on this, 100%.

[12th Doctor]

We had a similar bill several sessions ago.  It was an idiotic idea then, and it's an idiotic idea now.  Main reason?  We don't HAVE anyone from Puerto Rico on the forum!

We don't have anyone from Utah either.  Not that I am all for this idea, but I don't think it hurts us by adding this.

[MAS117]

We had a similar bill several sessions ago.  It was an idiotic idea then, and it's an idiotic idea now.  Main reason?  We don't HAVE anyone from Puerto Rico on the forum!

We don't have anyone from Utah either.  Not that I am all for this idea, but I don't think it hurts us by adding this.

As is, you are FORCING statehood on Puerto Rico.

[Gabu]

As there appears to be no debate on my amendment, I hereby call a vote:

Section I is hereby stricken and replaced with the following:

I.   The commonwealth of Puerto Rico is hereby the 51st state of the union of Atlasia under the name of Puerto Rico.

All senators in favor, vote "aye"; all against, vote "nay".

---

Aye.

[MAS117]

Aye

[Sam Spade]

Aye to the amendment.  We might as well get rid of something.

[King]

Aye.

I also propose this filibuster amendment to beat MAS:

Every accurance of the letter "a" shall be changed to "å."

[Gabu]

Aye.

I also propose this filibuster amendment to beat MAS:

Every accurance of the letter "a" shall be changed to "å."

I support this amendment, as "accurance" is not a word, and thus this amendment will be completely ineffectual.

[Alcon]

Someone should propose an amendment to make "accurance" a word.

[Gabu]

I'm sorry to interfere, but wouldn't it be simpler if, instead of holding a separate vote on the matter, the region designation is determined by bill itself?

As this comment appears to have been completely ignored, I'll address it.

The main reason why I personally like it in its current form is because the question of "Should Puerto Rico become a state?" is entirely different than the question of "What region should Puerto Rico be located in?"  If this bill both declared that Puerto Rico is made into a state and declared what region it would reside in, there would be a much higher chance of it failing purely because senators didn't like the region it was being put in, not because they didn't like the idea of Puerto Rico being a state.

When the two votes are separated, it allows us to first settle the issue of whether or not Puerto Rico should be a state at all, and then we can settle the issue of where it should go, without the fear that a location suggestion could torpedo its entire admission into the Union.

[MasterJedi]

Aye on the amendment.

[DanielX]

Aye to the amendment.

[jokerman]

Aye

[12th Doctor]

Aye

[MasterJedi]

Well this has defintily passed now. I hope the Senators who wouldn't have voted for it with the VI in the bill will now be able to commit their vote.

[JohnFKennedy]

We had a similar bill several sessions ago.  It was an idiotic idea then, and it's an idiotic idea now.  Main reason?  We don't HAVE anyone from Puerto Rico on the forum!

We don't have anybody from Utah either.  I think if Puerto Rico was a state in Atlasia, I'd be tempted to move there.

We have people registered in Utah though. I would rather do something like have the GM make up some sort of referendum numbers, so we can say that we held a referendum, in Puerto Rico, since nobody is in Puerto Rico at this time.

I am sure a past GM did that, or something similar at the least upon my request. IIRC Statehood lost.

[MAS117]

Mr. President, I submit a amendment to the clerk's desk regarding the 2005 Puerto Rican Statehood Bill:

Clause I is hereby stricken and replaced with:

I. After a majority vote of the citizens of Puerto Rico voting in the affirmative for statehood in a referendum administered by the territorial government of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is hereby entered in the Union of Atlasia as the 51st state under the name of Puerto Rico.

[MasterJedi]

Mr. President, I submit a amendment to the clerk's desk regarding the 2005 Puerto Rican Statehood Bill:

Clause I is hereby stricken and replaced with:

I. After a majority vote of the citizens of Puerto Rico voting in the affirmative for statehood in a referendum administered by the territorial government of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is hereby entered in the Union of Atlasia as the 51st state under the name of Puerto Rico.

I'll likely vote for it because it seems that Mas might give his vote for this bill if it passes.

[jokerman]

I think it is somewhat implied that it would need the consent of Puerto Rico, but anyway, if you want the bill to say that, fine.

[MAS117]

I think it is somewhat implied that it would need the consent of Puerto Rico, but anyway, if you want the bill to say that, fine.

No, its not implied Senator. This was why I was against this bill. My amendment is necessary to the passage of this bill, and yes I do want it in words.

[The Duke]

Let me register my discomfort with being granted unquestioned authority over how the referendum turns out.  I'm not at all sure that I like the idea of me determining the outcome out of nothing.

[MAS117]

Let me register my discomfort with being granted unquestioned authority over how the referendum turns out.  I'm not at all sure that I like the idea of me determining the outcome out of nothing.

I'm not sure about how the dinamics would work about this at this time.

[Colin]

Aye on the amendment.


You guys need to start these votes at normal times.

[Gabu]

With nine votes in favor to none against (I'm assuming that Colin's vote was for the first one), the first amendment has passed.

As for this one:

Every accurance of the letter "a" shall be changed to "å."

...I'm going to ignore it per the Senate Procedural Resolution on Multiple Issue Bills.

And as for MAS':

Clause I is hereby stricken and replaced with:

I. After a majority vote of the citizens of Puerto Rico voting in the affirmative for statehood in a referendum administered by the territorial government of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is hereby entered in the Union of Atlasia as the 51st state under the name of Puerto Rico.

I hereby open voting on this amendment.

All senators in favor, vote "aye"; all against, vote "nay".