SR 105-05: Philly Metro Area Belongs Together Amendment (Rejected)

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Philly Metro Area Belongs Together Constitutional Amendment

Section 1. The Regions.

1. The several states of this Republic shall be apportioned among three contiguous, autonomous Regions. Each region shall be further subdivided into two subregions.

2. The northern Region shall consist of the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Atlasian Virgin Islands.

i. The Northeastern Subregion shall consist of the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Atlasian Virgin Islands.

ii. The Great Lakes Subregion shall consist of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

3. The southern Region shall consist of the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

i. The Upper Southern Subregion shall consist of the states of Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
ii. The Deep Southern Subregion shall consist of the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Texas

Sponsor: S019

The gentleman from New Jersey is recognized.

[S019]

This is pretty straight forward, this would move Delaware to Lincoln, where it seems to fit better. Delaware is a culturally northern state, closely tied culturally to the Philadelphia metro area and South Jersey. There's really no reason for it to be in the South, ideally Maryland would move to the North too. I really find it hard to argue that anything north of Fredericksburg, VA is culturally southern, it's even harder to argue that Delaware, with its population heavily concentrated in sprawling New Castle County is a southern state. This is merely correcting for a misinterpretation of communities of interest. Delaware really has little in common with Southern states other than Maryland and maybe parts of Virginia (such as NoVA), on the other hand, it is closely tied to places like Pennsylvania and New Jersey and its sprawling, urban nature resembles that of the cities and suburbs on the I-95 corridor to its north. This is an egregiously wrong pairing that should be corrected, and this amendment seeks to do that.

[AGA]

In a North-South divide, Delaware is usually in the South. It may be in the Northeast, but I wouldn't consider it part of the North.

I am offering an amendment. I believe that this alternate regional composition makes more historical sense.

Philly Metro Area Belongs Together Constitutional Amendment Correction of Regions Constitutional Amendment

Section 1. The Regions.

1. The several states of this Republic shall be apportioned among three contiguous, autonomous Regions. Each region shall be further subdivided into two subregions.

2. The northern Region shall consist of the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Atlasian Virgin Islands.

i. The Northeastern Subregion shall consist of the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Atlasian Virgin Islands.

ii. The Great Lakes Subregion shall consist of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

3. The southern Region shall consist of the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

i. The Upper Southern Subregion shall consist of the states of Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
ii. The Deep Southern Subregion shall consist of the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Texas

4. The western Region shall consist of the states of Alaska, Arizona, Atlasian Samoa, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

i. The Mountain West Subregion shall consist of the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
ii. The Pacific Subregion shall consist of the states of Alaska, Atlasian Samoa, California, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, and Washington.

[S019]

Objection, though I am open to supporting some of these changes, but I'd like the original change of Delaware to remain.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

An objection having been raised, a vote on the amendment is now open. Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

Philly Metro Area Belongs Together Constitutional Amendment Correction of Regions Constitutional Amendment

Section 1. The Regions.

1. The several states of this Republic shall be apportioned among three contiguous, autonomous Regions. Each region shall be further subdivided into two subregions.

2. The northern Region shall consist of the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Atlasian Virgin Islands.

i. The Northeastern Subregion shall consist of the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Atlasian Virgin Islands.

ii. The Great Lakes Subregion shall consist of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

3. The southern Region shall consist of the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

i. The Upper Southern Subregion shall consist of the states of Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
ii. The Deep Southern Subregion shall consist of the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Texas

4. The western Region shall consist of the states of Alaska, Arizona, Atlasian Samoa, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

i. The Mountain West Subregion shall consist of the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
ii. The Pacific Subregion shall consist of the states of Alaska, Atlasian Samoa, California, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, and Washington.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I have never been one for chopping up the South or messing with the borders. I didn't support the Kansas effort and I don't intend on supporting this one, especially without the consent of the Southern government. Has there been any input from the Southern government on these proposed changes?

In either case, I will not vote in favor of taking territory from my region any more than I anticipate the Southern senators would support taking territory away from theirs. I am personally content with the borders as they are and will likely not be voting for this bill in either form. I certainly intend on defending the integrity of Fremont's borders.

NAY.

[AGA]

Aye

[OBD]

Nay. Removing Iowa and Minnesota from the Great West is a nonstarter.

[WD]

Nay.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Nay, Kansas is southern damnit!

[Deep Dixieland Senator, Muad'dib (OSR MSR)]

I, S019, do solemnly affirm that I will faithfully execute the office of Senator, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia.

Yet this bill, that the "Honorable Gentleman" has put forward is doing the exact opposite to the constitution of our country. The passing of any such amendment could be seen by some as a just cause for secession. If the "Honorable Gentleman" can't Abide by the constitution I don't see how he can expect others to be bound by it.

This is just more carpetbagging and territorial expansionism from an individual who feels likes justified in constantly sticking his nose in everyone else business. I have long said just leave us alone yet, many Fremontese & Northern Aggressors seem to constantly push for unjust treatment of their Southern brethren.

To these proposed defilements "amendments" I vote NAY

[S019]

NAY

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Both the underlying Amendment and the amendment offered to it, I am opposed.

NAY

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I'm making an amendment for after this vote fails (as it seems likely to do)

Section 1. The Regions.

1. The several states of this Republic shall be apportioned among three contiguous, autonomous Regions. Each region shall be further subdivided into two subregions.

2. The northern Region shall consist of the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Atlasian Virgin Islands.

i. The Northeastern Subregion shall consist of the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Atlasian Virgin Islands.

ii. The Great Lakes Subregion shall consist of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

3. The southern Region shall consist of the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

i. The Upper Southern Subregion shall consist of the states of Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
ii. The Deep Southern Subregion shall consist of the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Texas

I introduce this with as much seriousness as the original proposal should receive.

[S019]

I would like to know what type of community of interest is represented by New Jersey and Tennessee, anyways obvious objection to that amendment.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I would like to know what type of community of interest is represented by New Jersey and Tennessee, anyways obvious objection to that amendment.

It achieves the exact same aim that the Delaware move would do. Philly metro being together.

[S019]

I would like to know what type of community of interest is represented by New Jersey and Tennessee, anyways obvious objection to that amendment.

It achieves the exact same aim that the Delaware move would do. Philly metro being together.

Yes, but it breaks other COI in the process. This honestly reminds me of the arguments during the Michigan redistricting meetings, where they went out of their way to preserve the COI of 6,000 Bengali Michiganders, and in the process completely wrecked the Bay Cities-Saginaw-Flint corridor. Besides, most importantly, the argument here is that Delaware is a northern state, which well it is (Maryland is too), New Jersey and Pennsylvania are not southern states by any definition of the word. I still have yet to hear a good argument for why Delaware belongs in the South. It is clearly not culturally southern, in facts parts of the Midwest, particularly Appalachian Ohio and rural Indiana are far more culturally southern than Delaware at this point. Delaware is a state where most of its population lives in a pretty dense urban corridor and is also a site for major corporations, really not too much unlike Connecticut. Also it goes without saying but it just lacks southern culture in general, even if Virginia may not be exactly southern nowadays, it still has plenty of areas with southern culture, Delaware really does not.

[Joseph Cao]

S019 might as well go for broke and propose that every metropolitan area gets a region of its own, throw state lines out the window, and actually stick to whatever this line of logic is. That he has not done that and instead focused solely on a Southern state tells me that is not his motive here. At least AGA's amendment, while similarly cavalier, has a semblance of consistency to it.

Nay on the amendment, and Nay on the bill if it comes up for a vote.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

My great home state and Lincoln are parallel lines, we don't touch. Except at the Mississippi, we touch there.

Anyways, NAY NAY NAY NAY NAY NAY NAY

[Pericles]

Nay

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

This amendment lacks sufficient votes for passage. Senators have 24 hours to change their vote.

WB's amendment comes next.

[Spark]

Nay. Let's leave the states as they are.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

With one vote in favor, eleven opposed, and six members not voting, Senator AGA's amendment is rejected.

An objection having been raised, a vote is open on Senator Weatherboy's amendment. Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

Section 1. The Regions.

1. The several states of this Republic shall be apportioned among three contiguous, autonomous Regions. Each region shall be further subdivided into two subregions.

2. The northern Region shall consist of the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Atlasian Virgin Islands.

i. The Northeastern Subregion shall consist of the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Atlasian Virgin Islands.

ii. The Great Lakes Subregion shall consist of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

3. The southern Region shall consist of the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

i. The Upper Southern Subregion shall consist of the states of Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
ii. The Deep Southern Subregion shall consist of the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Texas

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Nay

I sense that there is no serious desire to alter the borders (thankfully). Let's just move to a final vote when this amendment fails next.

[Pericles]

Nay