H-17.9: Joint Resolution to Suspend the Federal Electoral Act (3/19/19)

[Sirius_]

Joint Resolution

To suspend the Federal Electoral act in the case of Ben Kenobi's registration

1. Per Section 15 Clause 5 of the Federal Electoral Act, by the consent of 2/3 of both chambers of congress, Section 14 Clause 3 of the Federal Electoral Act is hereby suspended to allow Ben Kenobi to register as a citizen of the Southern Region.

Sponsor: Ninja0428
Designation: H-17.9

[Sirius_]

It is quite clear what the intention of Ben Kenobi was when he posted in the new register thread. As there is no official cool down period to allow such an error to be corrected, I introduce this resolution to do so.

[Wisconsin+17]

Thank you sir!

[Former President tack50]

I personally oppose this resolution and will probably vote against it if it goes to the Senate. While I agree that Ben Kenobi's intention was clear, so is the fact that the 2/3 overrule is meant for actual emergencies.

As far as I know there is fortunately no emergency ongoing in the South, so Ben Kenobi's move was valid and he is now a citizen of Fremont.

[Coastal Elitist]

I'm not sure why he should get special treatment

[Mr. Reactionary]

What would constitute an actual emergency in this case triggering the rule to enable congressional suspension? Like an avalanche wiping out his house in Alaska in game? Regionally specific in game death threats by Norm Olson? His mom in Texas having a stroke in game requiring him to move back to TX to care for her? Clearly something was envisioned as being a scenario warranting congressional action.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

What would constitute an actual emergency in this case triggering the rule to enable congressional suspension? Like an avalanche wiping out his house in Alaska in game? Regionally specific in game death threats by Norm Olson? His mom in Texas having a stroke in game requiring him to move back to TX to care for her? Clearly something was envisioned as being a scenario warranting congressional action.

An emergency would constitute a collapse of the regional government, like with Fremont back in early 2017, during which Truman and Siren moved to help stabilize the region. If congressional intent means anything this was the basis for the clause to be added to the bill. The situation in Lincoln could also be termed as such though it was not quite as severe as some other situations.

It was never intended for a situation like this.

[Mr. Reactionary]

It was never intended for a situation like this.

Maybe, but to be fair was the relevant law really intended to punish typos corrected within 20 minutes that had no impact on any election? I know its gonna all be based off the definition of emergency but in all honesty I see a typo involuntarily trapping someone  somewhere they dont want to be and never wanted to be in the first place to be much more of an emergency than forum shopping candidates like in the example you mentioned. I mean, that was Pericles's excuse for opening this can of worms in the first place.

I mean, if not for the fact that there is a small child on Atlas who literally has nothing better to do than harass and annoy people (and screenshot random posts?) Would anyone have noticed? We have to take certain liberties in game since the real world cant be fully simulated but it seems extremely intellectually dishonest to try and pretend BK moved to Alaska by accident in game and is therefore somehow physically present there.

If you intend to move somewhere and later regret it, its 1 thing. Its pretty apparent there was no intent to move. Prepopulated quoted text that existed for less than 20 minutes hardly evidences intent.

[Pericles]

Clearly the right and fair thing to do is move Ben Kenobi back to the South. There's no harm from doing so and he clearly prefers to be in the South, and this could be accompanied with a bill allowing a 20 minute edit period for registrations (as we do for voting so that would be fair).

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

It was never intended for a situation like this.

Maybe, but to be fair was the relevant law really intended to punish typos corrected within 20 minutes that had no impact on any election?

The original law mandating restrictions on moving regions was made for the explicit reason of clamping down on strategic registration. The one free move you get when first joining was seen as a mitigation technique in case a newbie registered in the wrong region and wants to move. There has never been a 20 minute editing rule for registrations.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

This clause is intended for emergencies. This is most certainly not an emergency, so I fail to see why we're going to give him special treatment.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I mean, if not for the fact that there is a small child on Atlas who literally has nothing better to do than harass and annoy people (and screenshot random posts?)

I have never based my philosophy on the enforcement and interpretations of law be it positive or negative based on the screed of annoying Atlasian, regardless of who that might be.

My concern here is that we not undermine the original intent of the law and open the door to truck loads of strategic registrants flowing out, crippling regions and going in to pad someone's nest in another.

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

I'm not sure why he should get special treatment

[Sirius_]

I mean, if not for the fact that there is a small child on Atlas who literally has nothing better to do than harass and annoy people (and screenshot random posts?)

I have never based my philosophy on the enforcement and interpretations of law be it positive or negative based on the screed of annoying Atlasian, regardless of who that might be.

My concern here is that we not undermine the original intent of the law and open the door to truck loads of strategic registrants flowing out, crippling regions and going in to pad someone's nest in another.

The original intent of the law was not to apply the way it does in this situation, and you said what the intention is. This does not create a precedent allowing strategic registrations as it has been made clear that this is not the same situation.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I mean, if not for the fact that there is a small child on Atlas who literally has nothing better to do than harass and annoy people (and screenshot random posts?)

I have never based my philosophy on the enforcement and interpretations of law be it positive or negative based on the screed of annoying Atlasian, regardless of who that might be.

My concern here is that we not undermine the original intent of the law and open the door to truck loads of strategic registrants flowing out, crippling regions and going in to pad someone's nest in another.

The original intent of the law was not to apply the way it does in this situation, and you said what the intention is.

That does not actually follow.

Strategic registration was more broadly defined as to mean anyone registering out of their home state and the objective was to deter people from registering out of state, because that was deterring strategic registration at the time.

Back then fear of getting trapped accidentally, actually would have been work towards not against said intent behind the move restrictions.

[Vern]

Wouldn’t it just be easier to just update the rules saying if you edit your post with-in a time frame then the edited post stands. I mean we do it for voting why not this?!

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

This is pointless either we amend the whole thing or keep as is, let's not make special treatment.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Wouldn’t it just be easier to just update the rules saying if you edit your post with-in a time frame then the edited post stands. I mean we do it for voting why not this?!

Senator tack has introduced exactly such a bill to the Senate. However such a law would not be retroactive, and would not apply to Ben Kenobi.

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

Can we table this motion? They are registered in Alaska. If we had instituted my version of the no-registration window, they wouldn't have to wait so long before they can move back to the South

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

This shouldn't be illegal in the first place. We have a grace period for correcting ballot errors during elections; I don't see how it's a significant weakening of the law to allow similar corrections for registrations.

And yes, I understand a strict reading of the current law does not seem to provide for this and any new provision would not be retroactive. Nevertheless, the contention that allowing Kenobi to return to Texas is tantamount to the death of law and order in Atlasia strikes me as silly—and this is coming from someone who is very much a pedant when it comes to the law.

[Wisconsin+17]

Hello all. I want to clarify that I am not requesting special treatment. I would rather see the law amended to provide a grace period (as that was an oversight), and made retroactive to the 18th.

As Truman says, I don't see how it would weaken the law to do so, or 'completely ruin the game', especially when considering that I have not availed myself of my voting privileges.

Thank you for your time.

[fhtagn]

This clause is intended for emergencies. This is most certainly not an emergency, so I fail to see why we're going to give him special treatment.

Wouldn’t it just be easier to just update the rules saying if you edit your post with-in a time frame then the edited post stands. I mean we do it for voting why not this?!

Senator tack has introduced exactly such a bill to the Senate. However such a law would not be retroactive, and would not apply to Ben Kenobi.

Please do this game a favor and find some more productive hobbies. Your obsession with Ben is getting creepy.

[fhtagn]

It doesnt seem anyone has bothered to answer what allowing Ben to remain in the South as he intended would harm. There is no advantage to him being in either region, it's pretty clear this wasn't a case of abusing the system for strategic registration.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Please do this game a favor and find some more productive hobbies. Your obsession with Ben is getting creepy.

I would think this game is nothing more than a hobby. And regardless a hobby can't really be productive. It's something you enjoy doing in your spare time for fun.
And I'm not "obsessed" about Ben specifically. I'm "obsessed" about the game as a whole, and it just so happens that Ben is the current big ongoing event.

[fhtagn]

Please do this game a favor and find some more productive hobbies. Your obsession with Ben is getting creepy.

I would think this game is nothing more than a hobby. And regardless a hobby can't really be productive. It's something you enjoy doing in your spare time for fun.
And I'm not "obsessed" about Ben specifically. I'm "obsessed" about the game as a whole, and it just so happens that Ben is the current big ongoing event.

Then make better use of your time and answer what harm it would realistically cause if Ben is allowed back to the South as he intended.

Actually say what harm it would cause, not your whiny muhhh rules BS.