Write the 28th Amendment

[Bojack Horseman]

If you got to write the 28th Amendment, and were guaranteed enough votes in Congress to pass it and 38 states that would ratify it, what would it be?

[Frodo]

The one amendment that is already closest to ratification:

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[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Probably an amendment that would overturn Citizens United.  The details are a little fuzzy since there have been several different amendments proposed, but that's the basic principle.

I'd also favor an amendment banning conscription, but I don't think the draft will rear its ugly head any time soon.

[Donerail]

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Stolen from Justice Stevens.

[DC Al Fine]

Easy: An amendment defining personhood at conception.

[ElectionsGuy]

Abolishing the NSA and eliminating illegal spying by making a searching warrant necessary in order to collect any information from computers, cell phones, etc. by the CIA or any other agencies. This amendment would also abolish the Patriot Act and warrantless wiretapping, and mandate the federal government delete ALL records of unwarranted spying and wiretapping.

Something like that.

Also if there was a 29th amendment to create, I would abolish the electoral college and have the president elected by pure, simple popular vote.

[Del Tachi]

An amendment requiring an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the United States Senate to bring any question to a vote for final passage. 

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Easy: An amendment defining personhood at conception.

I guess I'd go with this, but I'm really super into this whole "change" type thing you people like so much.

[Deus Naturae]

Most of the amendments that come to mind would just prohibit government actions that are already prohibited under the current constitution, but are done regardless. Therefore, I can only conclude that any attempt to constitutionally limit the power of the federal government is pointless in the long term, and thus the only amendment that would actually change anything would be one to dissolve the federal constitution and abolish the federal government.

[Redalgo]

No really - nothing I would write for a 28th Amendment would ever get enough votes in Congress to pass or be ratified in more than a couple states. I want to change so many things that it might be more sensible to just write a new document.

[7,052,770]

Easy: An amendment defining personhood at conception.

... you seriously think birth control pills and IVF should be constitutionally banned?  Really??

Remember, Mississippi rejected this 60-40. The Catholic Church rejected it. I don't think there's anywhere in the entire Western world this would go over well.

[Bojack Horseman]

An amendment requiring an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the United States Senate to bring any question to a vote for final passage. 

The already unprecedented amount of obstruction in the Senate just isn't enough?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Rendering the Constitution null and void and calling for a new one to be written.

[DevotedDemocrat]

The Second Bill of Rights, as generally outlined by FDR and mandating that the federal, state and local governments work together to provide for the housing, health, food, education, employment, and general welfare of every Natural Born American citizen, as well as stating clearly an in no uncertain terms that existing deferral agencies and regulatory bodies such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the EPA and FDA etc are Constitutional. The governed would not eliminate or outdo private enterprise as in Communistic or Socialistic countries, but would simply augment private enterprise and fill in the gaps so that no citizen goes without a home, a job, healthcare, and education.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Section 1. All Bills for raising Revenue or to draw money from the Treasury shall originate in the House of Representatives. Upon passage by the House of Representatives, the Senate shall have thirty session days to assent to the Bill, to propose Amendments, or to reject the Bill. If any such Bill shall not be considered by the Senate within twenty-eight Days after it shall have been presented to them, the Same shall be deemed to received assent, in like Manner as if they had approved it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be approved.

Section 2. If any such Bill shall have been rejected by the Senate, then if the House of Representatives shall then approve the Bill by three-fifths of that House, it shall be treated as if it had been approved by the Senate. Likewise, if any such Bill be returned to the House of Representatives with Amendments proposed by the Senate, and the House of Representatives shall then approve the original Bill by three-fifths of that House, it shall be treated as if it had been approved by the Senate in its unamended form.

Section 3. If any such Bill shall have had Amendments proposed to it by the Senate, and the House of Representatives shall approve of them, or if it shall have been approved by the Senate without Amendment of the Bill sent to it by the House of Representatives, it shall be presented to the President as per Article I Section 7 of this Constitution, save that any veto of such a Bill shall become Law if approved by a three-fifths vote of each House.

Section 4. Any Bill which by any portion thereof does not touch upon raising Revenue or drawing money from the Treasury shall be considered ineligible for passage by the provisions of this Amendment.

Section 5. This Amendment shall become effective as of the beginning of the next Congress whose term begins after the ratification of this amendment.


Basically, this Amendment would make it slightly easier to raise or spend money so as to hopefully cutback somewhat on the gridlock.  In doing so, it gives greater power to the House of Representatives to pass such bills over the objections of either the Senate or the President.  In effect, such bills could pass by three-fifths of the House and the approval of either the President or three-fifths of the Senate.  Section 4 is there to act as a safeguard against misuse of this to pass a bill in this manner by having it incidentally approving buying a booklet of postage stamps for use by our embassy in Freedonia.

[SWE]

An amendment guaranteeing the right to vote for all citizens of voting age

[AggregateDemand]

1. House of Representative limited to 250 seats
2. Strict redistricting regulations and oversight
3. Ban all public discrimination against citizens of majority age
4. Eliminate independent agencies

[Sol]

Something which changes the US to a parliamentary system and requires fair redistricting and mandatory voting.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Democratic Elections Amendment

Section 1 The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on any account.

Section 2 States shall be responsible for ensuring the citizens' effective exercise of their voting rights. However, if a State proves systematically incapable of properly fulfilling such responsibility, the Congress shall take every measure necessary and proper to fulfill it.

Section 3 A Federal Voter Registry shall be established, listing every person eligible to vote under Section 1 and their precinct of residence. Every person figuring in the federal voter registry shall be provided with a cost-free voter identity card.

Section 4 Districts drawn for the purpose of electing representatives at any level of government shall be substantively equal in population. Specifically, for any particular redistricting map, the population of the most populous district shall not exceed 1.05 times that of the least populous district, as measured by the most recent official census.

Section 5 Said electoral districts shall be reasonably compact and respect as much as possible the cultural, geographic, historical and political boundaries of communities.

Section 6 Article one, section two, clause two; article one, section three, clause three; and article two, section one, clause five of the United State Constitution is hereby repealed. Any United States Citizen who is eligible to vote may be elected to the House of Representative. Any United States Citizen who is eligible to vote and has attained thirty years of age may be elected to the Senate and to the Presidency.

Section 7 Any citizen seeking the office of Representative or Senator, or seeking to present a slate of pledged Presidential electors, must receive the stated support of one percent of the citizens registered in the Federal Voter Registry established under Section 3 who reside in the relevant State or Congressional District.

Section 8 Elections to the United States Congress and for Presidential Electors shall consist of two rounds. The first round shall occur on the second Sunday of September, and on the subsequent Monday. The second round shall occur on the eighth Sunday following the first round, and on the subsequent Monday. States may extend the voting period up to twenty-one days preceding the mandated election dates.

Section 9 On the second round of elections, only the two candidates, or slates of presidential electors, who had received the greatest number of votes on the first round, shall be allowed to concur. The person -or slate of electors- who receives the greatest number of votes on the second round shall be declared elected.

Section 10 No individual or organization of any sort, including the candidate themselves, shall donate an amount of money of a value greater than a hundred U.S. dollars as of January 1st, 2014, to the campaign of a candidate to the United States Congress or the Presidency, nor spend any money for the sake of promoting or denigrating a candidacy to said offices.

Section 11 The Federal Treasury shall provide every candidate to United States Congress or the Presidency with a substantial amount of money for the sake of their campaign expenditures. Said payment shall be equal for every candidate to a given office, and shall be provided no later than forty-nine days preceding each round of balloting. Congress shall determine the amount of money provided for each office.

Section 12 Every broadcast media shall provide every candidate to United States Congress or the Presidency with a daily amount of airtime, cost-free, for the promotion of their candidacy, during the forty-nine days preceding each round of balloting. Congress shall determine the amount of this daily airtime, which may not be less than 30 minutes, and the moment of the day at which said time shall be provided.

[DC Al Fine]

Easy: An amendment defining personhood at conception.

... you seriously think birth control pills and IVF should be constitutionally banned?  Really??

Remember, Mississippi rejected this 60-40. The Catholic Church rejected it. I don't think there's anywhere in the entire Western world this would go over well.

I assumed this was a "you were just elected with 90% of the vote" fantasy scenario.

[JerryArkansas]

Section 1. All Bills for raising Revenue or to draw money from the Treasury shall originate in the House of Representatives. Upon passage by the House of Representatives, the Senate shall have thirty session days to assent to the Bill, to propose Amendments, or to reject the Bill. If any such Bill shall not be considered by the Senate within twenty-eight Days after it shall have been presented to them, the Same shall be deemed to received assent, in like Manner as if they had approved it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be approved.

Section 2. If any such Bill shall have been rejected by the Senate, then if the House of Representatives shall then approve the Bill by three-fifths of that House, it shall be treated as if it had been approved by the Senate. Likewise, if any such Bill be returned to the House of Representatives with Amendments proposed by the Senate, and the House of Representatives shall then approve the original Bill by three-fifths of that House, it shall be treated as if it had been approved by the Senate in its unamended form.

Section 3. If any such Bill shall have had Amendments proposed to it by the Senate, and the House of Representatives shall approve of them, or if it shall have been approved by the Senate without Amendment of the Bill sent to it by the House of Representatives, it shall be presented to the President as per Article I Section 7 of this Constitution, save that any veto of such a Bill shall become Law if approved by a three-fifths vote of each House.

Section 4. Any Bill which by any portion thereof does not touch upon raising Revenue or drawing money from the Treasury shall be considered ineligible for passage by the provisions of this Amendment.

Section 5. This Amendment shall become effective as of the beginning of the next Congress whose term begins after the ratification of this amendment.


Basically, this Amendment would make it slightly easier to raise or spend money so as to hopefully cutback somewhat on the gridlock.  In doing so, it gives greater power to the House of Representatives to pass such bills over the objections of either the Senate or the President.  In effect, such bills could pass by three-fifths of the House and the approval of either the President or three-fifths of the Senate.  Section 4 is there to act as a safeguard against misuse of this to pass a bill in this manner by having it incidentally approving buying a booklet of postage stamps for use by our embassy in Freedonia.

[7,052,770]

Easy: An amendment defining personhood at conception.

... you seriously think birth control pills and IVF should be constitutionally banned?  Really??

Remember, Mississippi rejected this 60-40. The Catholic Church rejected it. I don't think there's anywhere in the entire Western world this would go over well.

I assumed this was a "you were just elected with 90% of the vote" fantasy scenario.

Then only focus on the first line.  You seriously think birth control pills and IVF should be constitutionally banned?  Really??

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Easy: An amendment defining personhood at conception.

... you seriously think birth control pills and IVF should be constitutionally banned?  Really??

Remember, Mississippi rejected this 60-40. The Catholic Church rejected it. I don't think there's anywhere in the entire Western world this would go over well.

I assumed this was a "you were just elected with 90% of the vote" fantasy scenario.

Then only focus on the first line.  You seriously think birth control pills and IVF should be constitutionally banned?  Really??

That would depend upon how one defines "conception".   Medically, the term refers to fertilization followed by implantation.  Hence neither birth control pills not IVF would be banned by the proposed amendment since they both interact with human development before implantation occurs and thus before conception is completed.  Granted, some people use it as a shorthand for fertilization, but medically, after conception is the same as after implantation. </jargon>

[angus]

Rendering the Constitution null and void and calling for a new one to be written.

I've thought about this for some time.  In the abstract, I agree, but as a practical matter I would be against such a plan at this time.  I think that we live in such an intense epoch of paranoia and litigation that the resulting constitution would be too inclusive and difficult to amend, possibly resulting in a severe diminution of the rights that we currently enjoy.  

[Bojack Horseman]

Section 1. No State shall make or enforce any law that is based on religion of any kind. While it is acknowledged that everyone has the right to free exercise of religion, this does not condone discrimination. No law shall be made based on the Christian doctrine, and no law shall be made that allows an employee, public or private, to refuse to serve a member of the public based on that person's sexual orientation because of that person's religious beliefs.

Section 2. In order to protect the rights of all to vote from the Republican Party's constant and unrelenting attacks on the Fifteenth Amendment to this Constitution, no State shall make or enforce any law that requires a picture ID to vote, or any other attempt to make voting lines longer, make it more difficult to vote, or any other law designed to prevent minorities, women, or any other group from voting because of the political party they tend to vote for. However, an IQ test must be passed in order to vote, and anyone holding radical right-wing views, including belief that the President was born in Kenya, George Zimmerman is a saint, reading Ayn Rand, having an intense, burning hatred of Hollywood, or viewing of Fox News shall be ineligible to vote for the rest of his or her life. The above list is not all-inclusive.

Section 3. No state shall make or enforce any law that bans or restricts abortion. Any such laws on the books presently, be it made by the States or the Federal Government, is repealed and considered null and void.

Section 4. Marriage in the United States shall consist of one man and one man, one woman and one woman, or one man and one woman. No couple blood-related closer than second cousins shall be eligible to marry, and only human beings over the age of 18 and legally capable of consenting shall be eligible to marry. Any gay couple shall be given equal treatment in matters of adoption, and religious organizations shall not refuse to place a child with a gay couple simply because the couple is gay.

Section 5. Citizens United is overturned, corporations are not people, and money is not free speech.

Section 6. The President of the United States shall serve a six-year term. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than once, and any person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than three years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be considered to have served his term and therefore ineligible to hold the office again.

Section 7. Both Representatives and Senators shall serve two-year terms. No person shall serve more than one term in Congress for the duration of his or her lifetime.

Section 8. Congress shall set up a universal health care system that is funded by taxpayer dollars. Private insurance companies are hereby illegal, and no hospital may charge more than 15% of the actual cost to deliver the health care service, nor charge the patient any copay.

Section 9. Antonin Scalia, John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito shall be removed from the Supreme Court and replaced by Justices who will rule based on the Constitution and not the GOP Platform.