SENATE RESOLUTION: SCREWING AROUND WITH BORDERS AMENDMENT (At Final Vote)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

SENATE RESOLUTION

Allows regional legislatures and Congress to change state boundaries

Be it resolved by two-thirds of each chamber that the Constitution be amended, as follows, upon ratification by the regions

SECTION 1.

1. This Act may be cited as the "Screwing Around with Borders Amendment”.

SECTION 2.

Article VII, Section 2, of the Fourth Constitution, is amended to read as follows:

1. New states may be admitted by the Congress into this Union, and apportioned among the several Regions as may be appropriate; but no new state shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the Regions concerned as well as of the Congress.
2. The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the Republic of Atlasia.
3. The Regional legislatures may alter the boundaries of states and counties located within their respective Region at will.
4. Congress may also alter the boundaries of states and counties.

This amendment allows regional legislatures and Congress to change state and county boundaries

People's Regional Senate
Pending

Sponsor: Ontario Progressive
Senate Designation: SR19:19

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The sponsor has 24 hours to commence an advocacy and other members have 48 hours to respond.

[ON Progressive]

This amendment would give regional legislatures and Congress the right to determine the boundaries of the regions, as well as the states and counties within them.

There are plenty of border irregularities at the moment that can only be fixed by NPC-controlled courts, and this amendment would allow both Congress and regional legislatures to solve these.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

As I read this, Congress or the regions would not be able to create new states by splitting an existing state into two or more jurisdictions, but would be able to merge existing states to form new "mega-states" (North and South Dakota becoming united Dakota, for instance) —is that correct?

[ON Progressive]

As I read this, Congress or the regions would not be able to create new states by splitting an existing state into two or more jurisdictions, but would be able to merge existing states to form new "mega-states" (North and South Dakota becoming united Dakota, for instance) —is that correct?

no new state shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the Regions concerned as well as of the Congress.

I believe this part prohibits merging states without the consent of regional legislatures concerned and Congress.

[Former President tack50]

I have to say that allowing to change the borders of states and counties seems like a really bad idea and might make the game a bit more inaccessible. We should keep state and county boundaries the same as in real life.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

As I read this, Congress or the regions would not be able to create new states by splitting an existing state into two or more jurisdictions, but would be able to merge existing states to form new "mega-states" (North and South Dakota becoming united Dakota, for instance) —is that correct?

no new state shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the Regions concerned as well as of the Congress.

I believe this part prohibits merging states without the consent of regional legislatures concerned and Congress.

I asked because there is a semi-colon between the first and second clauses, which would suggest it is never permissible to create new states within existing state boundaries, but is sometimes permissible to merge two or more states provided Congress and the regions sign off. I wasn't sure if that was the intent, or if "without the consent of the legislatures of the Regions concerned as well as of the Congress" is supposed to refer to splitting and merging existing states.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Is there a necessity that the congress also be able to alter the state an county lines? If not, I Think the regional legislatures should have exclusive authority over said matters.

[Devout Centrist]

I would be fine with Congress having the ability to alter state boundaries, but only under rare circumstances where both states mutually agree to have Congress arbitrate a border dispute.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I would be fine with Congress having the ability to alter state boundaries, but only under rare circumstances where both states mutually agree to have Congress arbitrate a border dispute.

Would that be best if applied generally or only if they were states from different regions?

[Devout Centrist]

I would be fine with Congress having the ability to alter state boundaries, but only under rare circumstances where both states mutually agree to have Congress arbitrate a border dispute.

Would that be best if applied generally or only if they were states from different regions?

While the former is more realistic, the latter is more practical. There isn't much reason for us in Fantasyland to arbitrate boundary disputes between individual states. Practically speaking, the only instance where it matters in game is boundary disputes between regions.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I would be fine with Congress having the ability to alter state boundaries, but only under rare circumstances where both states mutually agree to have Congress arbitrate a border dispute.

Would that be best if applied generally or only if they were states from different regions?

While the former is more realistic, the latter is more practical. There isn't much reason for us in Fantasyland to arbitrate boundary disputes between individual states. Practically speaking, the only instance where it matters in game is boundary disputes between regions.

Would everyone else be generally on board with this approach then?

[Dr. MB]

I originally introduced this bill in the House in order to fix weird borders (like the Kentucky Bend) - since apparently that's illegal. Anyway, Congress should be able to change state borders cause, well, it's fun.

[Devout Centrist]

I originally introduced this bill in the House in order to fix weird borders (like the Kentucky Bend) - since apparently that's illegal. Anyway, Congress should be able to change state borders cause, well, it's fun.

IRL, this would be an absolute nightmare, but I'm not opposed to us just slightly altering state's borders as it would have no real effect on the game.

[Dr. MB]

I originally introduced this bill in the House in order to fix weird borders (like the Kentucky Bend) - since apparently that's illegal. Anyway, Congress should be able to change state borders cause, well, it's fun.

IRL, this would be an absolute nightmare, but I'm not opposed to us just slightly altering state's borders as it would have no real effect on the game.

Yeah, my point exactly.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

SENATE RESOLUTION

Allows regional legislatures and Congress to change state boundaries

Be it resolved by two-thirds of each chamber that the Constitution be amended, as follows, upon ratification by the regions

SECTION 1.

1. This Act may be cited as the "Screwing Around with Borders Amendment”.

SECTION 2.

Article VII, Section 2, of the Fourth Constitution, is amended to read as follows:

1. New states may be admitted by the Congress into this Union, and apportioned among the several Regions as may be appropriate; but no new state shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the Regions concerned as well as of the Congress.
2. The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the Republic of Atlasia.
3. The Regional legislatures may alter the boundaries of states and counties located within their respective Region at will.
4. Congress may also alter the boundaries of states and counties, when there is a border dispute between two states from different regions and both mutually agree to have Congress arbitrate said dispute..

This amendment allows regional legislatures and Congress to change state and county boundaries

People's Regional Senate
Pending

Trying to follow Devout's suggestion with the text.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Sponsor?

[Devout Centrist]

Without objection here

[ON Progressive]

That is a friendly amendment.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Senators have twenty four to object.

[Vern]

I'm not crazy about this idea, but I'm not against it either. One of them things that I could take it or leave it.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The amendment has been adopted.

[Devout Centrist]

I motion for a final vote

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Seeing no objections, a final vote is now open on this bill, Senators please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE