SENATE BILL: Atlasia Territorial Statehood Act (Passed)

[ON Progressive]

I propose this bill to the Senate because I believe this would be the simplest way to fix the issue of how we deal with the Atlasia territories that haven’t been granted statehood like Puerto Rico was previously.

Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Atlasian Samoa are put into Fremont not only because the only region with a Pacific coast is the most natural fit geographically, but also because Fremont Parliament in the past has petitioned Congress to admit Guam/AS as states before.

Lincoln is given the Virgin Islands because I think it would be unreasonable to deny Lincoln when the other two regions will have former territories as states in the event of this bill passing.

[ON Progressive]

I originally merged Guam and the NMI to make a more large state, though I suppose since the NMI is larger than Atlasian Samoa, it probably wouldn’t be too unreasonable to have the NMI as a seperate state.

[ON Progressive]

Considering the populations involved, I'd prefer not to add them as states (maybe annex them to Hawaii and Puerto Rico if necessary), but if we were to do so, then Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands should be merged into a single state.

I object to the ammendment (though I'm pretty sure only the sponsor can formally object).

I personally would be against annexing these territories to existing states, in particular the Virgin Islands with Puerto Rico. This was the original proposal when PR statehood was first brought up, and it was found that the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are too fundamentally different culturally to be in the same state. I happen to agree with that.

I would also imagine there are very significant cultural differences between most of the Pacific Island territories and Hawaii, especially because Guam and the NMI are Micronesian while Hawaii is Polynesian.

[ON Progressive]

Considering the populations involved, I'd prefer not to add them as states (maybe annex them to Hawaii and Puerto Rico if necessary), but if we were to do so, then Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands should be merged into a single state.

I object to the ammendment (though I'm pretty sure only the sponsor can formally object).

I personally would be against annexing these territories to existing states, in particular the Virgin Islands with Puerto Rico. This was the original proposal when PR statehood was first brought up, and it was found that the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are too fundamentally different culturally to be in the same state. I happen to agree with that.

I would also imagine there are very significant cultural differences between most of the Pacific Island territories and Hawaii, especially because Guam and the NMI are Micronesian while Hawaii is Polynesian.

Yeah, considering cultural differences, it's probably best not to merge them. Still statehood is also not the best choice because of their low populations.

The Guam-NMI state would have slightly more than 210k people while the Virgin Islands would have around half that. Meanwhile Wyoming has almost 600k people, 3 times as much as Guam-NMI and 6 times as much as the USVI.

I think the best choice is probably to leave them as territories (or give them independence if they choose to, but that doesn't seem likely either). Giving territories almost the same rights as states might be a good idea in that case though.

That would require an amendment to the constitution.

Not only that, but I'm kinda skeptical of the notion we should be considering population here. It's actually quite common to have subdivisions that are equivalent to Atlasian states with populations in the hundreds of thousands or even lower.

For example, that Guam + NMI merger would still be higher population than some of these state equivalents worldwide:
Prince Edward Island, Canada (province with a population of 142k)
Aosta Valley, Italy (region with a population of 126k)
7 regions of Portugal (ranging from 206k to 118.5k)
The autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla in Spain (both in the mid 80k population)
South Sinai Governorate, Egypt (population 104k)

There are quite a few more examples with populations just over the 210k mark I haven't included, but the point of the matter is simply that small populations shouldn't be an issue for these territories becoming states.

[ON Progressive]

OK, I just came back from dinner. I'll address these things one at a time:

1) Ninja is correct with regards to my intent on putting the Virgin Islands into Lincoln.

2) For Guam's statehood, I found this poll from 2016 showing 56% of Guam supports statehood. That would be pretty solid. Atlasian Samoa (American Samoa IRL) has explored statehood in 2005 and 2017. The Virgin Islands explored statehood in 1984 as well.

3) Admitting these states into the union would not require a Constitutional amendment. Under Article VII, Section 2 of the Constitution:

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.

[ON Progressive]

Ontario was this friendly or Hostile? I don't see where you clearly answered.

SENATE BILL

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”

Section 2: Granting Statehood
1. The territory of the Virgin Islands shall be granted statehood on October 1st, 2019
2. The state of the Virgin Islands shall be located within the Lincoln Region
3. The territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands shall be granted statehood on October 1st, 2019
4. The territory of Atlasian Samoa shall be granted statehood on October 1st, 2019
5. The states of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Atlasian Samoa shall be located within the Fremont Region

Section 3: Granting Citizenship
1. All Atlasian nationals within the territories of Guam, Atlasian Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands shall be granted citizenship
2. Any person born in the territory of Guam, Atlasian Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands shall be granted citizenship

Section 4: Implementation
1. This act shall go into effect immediately

People's Regional Senate
Pending

Sponsor Feedback: None Given
Status: Need Sponsor Feedback!!!

Friendly.

[ON Progressive]

I have taken it upon myself to rewrite the bill. I have left the date for the referenda intentionally blank to allow for debate on that.

SENATE BILL

To provide statehood referenda 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”

Section 2: Granting Statehood Referenda
1. The territoryies of the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Atlasian Samoa shall be granted statehood referenda on October 1stTBD, 2019
2. For any individual territory, a simple majority must vote in favor of statehood for the referendum to pass.
2. The state of the Virgin Islands shall be located within the Lincoln Region
3. The territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands shall be granted statehood on October 1st, 2019
4. The territory of Atlasian Samoa shall be granted statehood on October 1st, 2019
5. The states of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Atlasian Samoa shall be located within the Fremont Region

Section 3: Granting CitizenshipReferenda Passing Impact
1. If a referendum passes in any given territory, the impacts will be as follows:
a. All Atlasian nationals within those territories listed above that pass a referendum in favor of statehood shall be granted citizenship immediately upon their statehood.
b. Any person born within the territories listed above shall be granted citizenship immediately upon statehood.
1. All Atlasian nationals within theany of the territories of Guam, Atlasian Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands shall be granted citizenship.
2. Any person born in the territory of Guam, Atlasian Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands shall be granted citizenship

Section 4: Implementation
1. This act shall go into effect immediately

People's Regional Senate
Pending
[/quote]

[ON Progressive]

I object to the amendment.

[ON Progressive]

Nay

[ON Progressive]

There is one last amendment needed before we get to a final vote: setting a date in Section 2.1.

[ON Progressive]

There is one last amendment needed before we get to a final vote: setting a date in Section 2.1.

That amendment?

I’d rather have the Senate do a debate personally before we amend.

[ON Progressive]

There is one last amendment needed before we get to a final vote: setting a date in Section 2.1.

That amendment?

I’d rather have the Senate do a debate personally before we amend.

A debate on the date you mean?

That would be correct.

[ON Progressive]

The amendment by Devout Centrist is friendly.

[ON Progressive]

The amendment by Devout Centrist has passed.

I’m going to suggest that statehood or not, these locations referenced here should be admitted to the regions as territories. They’re part of the US IRL after all so they should be part of this game.

That does seem like it could be a good idea, though I'd like to know what territorial status would mean for the purposes of Atlasia.

[ON Progressive]

I move for a final vote.

Any objections to this?

[ON Progressive]

A final vote will now be opened.

Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

[ON Progressive]

Aye