SB 107-19: Amendment to the Fifth Constitution of Atlasia (Rejected)

[WD]

An Amendment to the Fifth Constitution of Atlasia
To regionalize authority over abortion laws
Be it enacted with a supermajority of the Senate of Atlasia and the Regions

Article I

14. Regional governments shall hold full authority to determine and regulate abortion policy including the status of abortion being a right or not.

Amendment Explanation:
This amendment seeks to give full control over abortion policy to the regions of Atlasia by adding a new section to the Bill of Rights in the federal Constitution..

Sponsor: Ishan, Joseph Cao

The gentleman from Northern Ireland and the gentleman from Illinois are both recognized.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

It would not have been possible at the time to achieve obviously (2015-2016), but it would have certainly been far better for the game structurally to have certain areas explicitly stated as being for the regions to handle, especially those known to historically drive activity in regional elections/governments.

I am very much interested in this proposal thus.

[Joseph Cao]

Also waiting for Ishan to weigh in but, briefly, my two cents:

Naturally abortion has driven a fair bit of activity at the regional level for years, most recently with the Lincoln and South bills and other actions. I am of the opinion that this is an issue best tackled by the regions to prevent the sort of imposed consensus we're close to getting at the federal level, which was my primary reason for signing on to this legislation as a co-sponsor.

[Continential]

I concur with the points raised by Cao and abortion should be a regional issue as it has been legislated on regionally and is treated as a regional issue.

[Pericles]

This is already federal policy and the 'establishment' has chosen to believe that Supreme Court precedent prevents it being done differently. Funding of it as a budget decision and does not decide how extensive abortion rights are.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

This just seems to formally enact what is already a strong gentleman's agreement within the game. Given there are forces that seem to want to change that, should a government set on their interests ever be composed, we should enact this additional safeguard.

[Senator-elect Spark]

I am vehemently opposed to this amendment. We need abortion to be a federal matter because letting regions do it on their own will cause innumerable disputes.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I am vehemently opposed to this amendment. We need abortion to be a federal matter because letting regions do it on their own will cause innumerable disputes.

This is strange from you then, considering you've never advocated a right-to-life law or national ban on abortions.
 
I'm pretty neutral as far as this amendment is concerned, even though I don't have a say in it. The problem with the South's law is that it was an unconstitutional bounty hunter law. Under no circumstances does the government allow a private citizen to act on behalf of the state or to enforce laws, and to profit from doing so.

I also want to use this opportunity to clarify, again for the record, that the Reproductive Health Expansion Act does not affect regional abortion laws. Funding and legality are separate matters. Current law allows AtlasCare plans to cover abortions as the law so allows in any region. So, any notion that the federal government is trying to force liberal abortion policies in the South or elsewhere is simply incorrect.

[Mr. Reactionary]

I am vehemently opposed to this amendment. We need abortion to be a federal matter because letting regions do it on their own will cause innumerable disputes.

This is strange from you then, considering you've never advocated a right-to-life law or national ban on abortions.
 
I'm pretty neutral as far as this amendment is concerned, even though I don't have a say in it. The problem with the South's law is that it was an unconstitutional bounty hunter law. Under no circumstances does the government allow a private citizen to act on behalf of the state or to enforce laws, and to profit from doing so.

I also want to use this opportunity to clarify, again for the record, that the Reproductive Health Expansion Act does not affect regional abortion laws. Funding and legality are separate matters. Current law allows AtlasCare plans to cover abortions as the law so allows in any region. So, any notion that the federal government is trying to force liberal abortion policies in the South or elsewhere is simply incorrect.

No worries. We took care of all of these concerns last week in the Pro-Life Safe Haven Act. No bounties and no nullification of the R"H"EA.

[WD]

Opening a final vote in 24 hours

[Adam Griffin]

What in the f[inks]ing f[inks]k is this

...is this the legacy of Labor dominance I fought for?

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

What in the f[inks]ing f[inks]k is this

...is this the legacy of Labor dominance I fought for?

The gentleman's agreement to leave abortion to the regions must be preserved against forces from either side that want to end it.

[WD]

A final vote is now open. Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

[West_Midlander]

Aye

[Continential]

Aye

[S019]

NAY

[Kuumo]

Nay

[OBD]

Nay!

[DabbingSanta]

Aye

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

Aye

[Saint Milei]

aye

[Dr. MB]

Nay

I think getting the federal government out of abortion law entirely could backfire.

[Joseph Cao]

Aye!

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

Nay

I think getting the federal government out of abortion law entirely could backfire.

How so?

[Dr. MB]

Nay

I think getting the federal government out of abortion law entirely could backfire.

How so?

I’m all for it as an unwritten concept but it’s a little bit too firm to put it in the constitution.

I’m not sure it’s a good idea for regions to go too far extreme in either direction and then have zero recourse.