HB 20-11: Atlasia Territorial Statehood Act 2.0 (Passed)

[Pericles]

ACT OF CONGRESS

To provide statehood to the territories of the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Atlasian Samoa

Be it Enacted in Both Houses of Congress Assembled,

Section 1: Title
1. This act shall be titled the “Atlasia Territorial Statehood Act 2.0”

Section 2: Granting Statehood
1. The territories of the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Atlasian Samoa shall be granted statehood within 6 months of passage of this legislation.

Section 3: Passing Impact
1. If this bill passes, the impacts will be as follows:
a. All Atlasian nationals within those territories listed above shall be granted citizenship immediately upon their statehood.
b. the territory shall become a state, effective immediately
c. Any person born within the territories listed above shall be granted citizenship immediately upon statehood.
2. The territories shall be put into the regions as follows:
a. The territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Atlasian Samoa shall be in the region of Fremont
b. The territory of the Virgin Islands shall be in the region of Lincoln

People's Regional Senate
Passed 4-1 in the Atlasian Regional Senate

Sponsor: MB
House Designation: HB 20-11

[Pericles]

This needs a sponsor.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

My thanks to the vice president for bringing this to the floor. Apparently everyone else forgot.

[Dr. MB]

I'll sponsor.

[Pericles]

24 hours to object to Representative MB sponsoring this bill.

[Poirot]

If this bill makes new states in regions, shouldn't it be a constitutional amendment since article 2 of the constitution details the states in each region?

https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Article_II_of_the_Fourth_Constitution

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

If this bill makes new states in regions, shouldn't it be a constitutional amendment since article 2 of the constitution details the states in each region?

https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Article_II_of_the_Fourth_Constitution

The Constitution also gives Congress the power to admit new states. Article II is not and never was intended to be the final word on the regions. The fact that it describes certain states as belonging to certain regions does not mean that other states could not also belong to those regions.

[RC (a la Frémont)]

Guam statehood gang

[Poirot]

I found the admission of new state clause in the constitution. It's article VII section 2:

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.

If I read this correctly for entirely new state the region doesn't have to consent.

[Pericles]

With no objection, Representative MB is the sponsor and now has 48 hours to speak on this bill.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I found the admission of new state clause in the constitution. It's article VII section 2:

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.

If I read this correctly for entirely new state the region doesn't have to consent.

This is correct, though for the record Frémont has passed several resolutions and a constitutional amendment expressing support for these territories' admission.

[Dr. MB]

It's long past time to give statehood to the territories that are just as much a part of Atlasia as any of the current states. This would give them the right to vote in federal and regional elections which is desperately needed.

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Agreed! I motion for a final vote on this bill.

[Poirot]

In terms of Atlasia game play, I see some downside. When users draw maps with electoral results for example, the islands are small and difficult to color. They are no ajacent to the continent so will have to be inserted near continental Atlasia. I don't think Fremont is overpopulated and sometimes a state has no voter, with the Save our States movement asking for a citizen to go live in an empty state.

[Pericles]

Sorry I missed razze's final vote motion, I'll start the 24 hour objection period for it now.

[YE]

In terms of Atlasia game play, I see some downside. When users draw maps with electoral results for example, the islands are small and difficult to color. They are no ajacent to the continent so will have to be inserted near continental Atlasia. I don't think Fremont is overpopulated and sometimes a state has no voter, with the Save our States movement asking for a citizen to go live in an empty state.

That isn’t hard to do lmao.

[Pericles]

With no objection, a final vote has begun on this. Representatives have 72 hours to vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[Dr. MB]

Aye

[Poirot]

Nay

since there are enough states or territories to fill and even maybe others in the future like Canadian provinces in the future and islands are very small on map, and don't see the link of Virgin islands with Lincoln. It could be grouped with Puerto Rico instead, and the Pacific islands with Hawaii.

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Aye

[RC (a la Frémont)]

Aye

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Aye

[YE]

Aye

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Aye

[fhtagn]

Aye