HB 28-12: Regional Registration Act (debating)

[Joseph Cao]

I don't see the need for people being locked down for one year either. As a matter of principle, nobody, not even Ben Kenobi types, should get their residency frozen for this long if they want to move (the schadenfreude that BK provided notwithstanding). Note the decision being "their" own, rather than being asked to switch regions for partisan purposes.

And whatever is needed to tackle the strategic registration problem, it won't be this attempt. All this does is encourage people to do it earlier.

[Joseph Cao]

As I said earlier, one year is much too long. I understand the House doesn't want to gut this bill but my gut instinct is against implementing a regional lockdown period of anywhere near this length.

[Joseph Cao]

Hard to operate when situations like these present themselves.

Since the originator of the motion never followed up on it by opening the vote, I'm going to act at the discretion of the current presiding officer and void the motion (along with Ninja's objection). Also giving everyone 24 hours to object to Ninja's amendment.

[Joseph Cao]

Seeing no objections, Ninja’s amendment is adopted.

I believe a new sponsor is needed. Probably MB since he wrote this.

Yeah I can take up sponsorship.

A further 24 hours to object to MB assuming sponsorship.

[Joseph Cao]

Amendment pending, most likely within a couple of days.

[Joseph Cao]

For Talleyrand and anyone else examining this bill for the first time, YE's amendment last Congress struck the second clause and we are only considering the 1-year limit at the moment.

With that said, long overdue amendment:

A BILL
To protect the integrity of the regions

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: TITLE
1. This legislation may be referred to as the Regional Registration Act.

SECTION II: CONTENT
1. Section 4, clause 2 of FL 22.9, the Census Act of 2019, is hereby amended to read the following:

If a voter has been registered in more than one region over the previous one hundred and eighty days, they cannot register outside the region they were most recently registered in.

After establishing residency in a region, a voter may not change residences to another region for another three hundred sixty-five two hundred and seventy days. This shall not be affected by deregistration.

SECTION III: TIMING
1. The amended restriction shall apply to registrations taking place after March 31st, 2021 this bill's passage of both houses of Congress and signature into law by the President.

I believe the 9-month figure here was originally a suggestion from razze.

We are bumping up against the March 31st deadline Ninja originally set, so I have also extended that by a week. On MB's suggestion, this has been changed to come into effect after the President signs it.

[Joseph Cao]

For Talleyrand and anyone else examining this bill for the first time, YE's amendment last Congress struck the second clause and we are only considering the 1-year limit at the moment.

With that said, long overdue amendment:

A BILL
To protect the integrity of the regions

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled,

SECTION I: TITLE
1. This legislation may be referred to as the Regional Registration Act.

SECTION II: CONTENT
1. Section 4, clause 2 of FL 22.9, the Census Act of 2019, is hereby amended to read the following:

If a voter has been registered in more than one region over the previous one hundred and eighty days, they cannot register outside the region they were most recently registered in.

After establishing residency in a region, a voter may not change residences to another region for another three hundred sixty-five two hundred and seventy days. This shall not be affected by deregistration.

SECTION III: TIMING
1. The amended restriction shall apply to registrations taking place after March 31stApril 7th, 2021.

I believe the 9-month figure here was originally a suggestion from razze.

We are bumping up against the March 31st deadline Ninja originally set, so I have also extended that by a week.

You might want to change it to "when passed" since it's obviously going to take more than a week to go through the senate.

Otherwise no objections.

Good point about the Senate (I temporarily forgot that this hadn't passed the other chamber yet). Amendment has been modified accordingly.