SB 119-05: Embrace Federalism Act

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Embrace Federalism Act

Section 1. This bill will be known as the Embrace Federalism Act

Section 2. Granting more regional autonomy:
A. Any region has the right to not enforce any statute passed by the legislature as long as a majority of the vote passes by a simple majority within a regional referendum. Common law is exempt.
B. Any statute that passes within the region that conflicts with federal law may override federal law within that region without the need for a secondary referendum.

Section 3. Implementation:
This bill will take place effective immediately

Sponsor: Christian Man
Occupying: Slot 5

[Vice President Christian Man]

Thank you PPT Tim,

This bill will allow for greater regional autonomy and representation and looks to solve the increasing disunity between the more progressive and conservative regions.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

absolutely not. May as well just dissolve the union and have all 3 regions be independent.

[Vice President Christian Man]

absolutely not. May as well just dissolve the union and have all 3 regions be independent.

While this promotes regionalism, this bill would avert the need for a secession crisis by granting greater independence to the regions while maintaining the unity of the union.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

absolutely not. May as well just dissolve the union and have all 3 regions be independent.

While this promotes regionalism, this bill would avert the need for a secession crisis by granting greater independence to the regions while maintaining the unity of the union.

This already gives them de facto independence.

If this law was proposed & passed 12 months ago, the South would be independent by now, because there's nothing the federal goverment could have done to stop them. You basically propose giving them the right override everything decided on a federal level.

Why have a federal level if you want stronger regions. At that point, it's just a figurehead with zero power. One should expect that we should have learned by now from events that happened in the game in the past.

Any statute that passes within the region that conflicts with federal law may override federal law within that region without the need for a secondary referendum.

Just a statute of independence here would mean you would prevent anyone on a federal level (court, legislature, president) from doing something to prevent it from happening.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

if the crazy bills being passed in the south, including banning women from voting, didn't make it obvious, the conservacord hivemind will just follow whatever. The South could pretty swiftly just ignore all federal laws and be functionally independent. This is not a good idea.

[fhtagn]

absolutely not. May as well just dissolve the union and have all 3 regions be independent.

While this promotes regionalism, this bill would avert the need for a secession crisis by granting greater independence to the regions while maintaining the unity of the union.

This already gives them de facto independence.

If this law was proposed & passed 12 months ago, the South would be independent by now, because there's nothing the federal goverment could have done to stop them. You basically propose giving them the right override everything decided on a federal level.

Why have a federal level if you want stronger regions. At that point, it's just a figurehead with zero power. One should expect that we should have learned by now from events that happened in the game in the past.

Any statute that passes within the region that conflicts with federal law may override federal law within that region without the need for a secondary referendum.

Just a statute of independence here would mean you would prevent anyone on a federal level (court, legislature, president) from doing something to prevent it from happening.

Why have regions if you just want the federal government making all decisions.

[Vice President Christian Man]

if the crazy bills being passed in the south, including banning women from voting, didn't make it obvious, the conservacord hivemind will just follow whatever. The South could pretty swiftly just ignore all federal laws and be functionally independent. This is not a good idea.

This bill wouldn't impact constitutional law.

[Pyro]

I do not support allowing regional law to override the federal law, nor is it wise to permit regional authorities to ignore the federal government. If Atlasians in a given region oppose an act from Nyman, they should work to campaign against it and elect officials in agreement with that position.

[Vice President Christian Man]

Motioning for a final vote

[Vice President Christian Man]

A final vote is beginning.

Aye

[Dr. MB]

Nay

[fhtagn]

Aye

[RFayette]

Aye

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

NAY

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

Aye

[reagente]

Aye

[nerd73]

Nay, obvious attempt by the SNP's favorite Paxite to subvert our federal system.

[Pyro]

Nay

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Nay

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Nay

[Jay 🏳️‍⚧️]

NAY

[Coastal Elitist]

Aye

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

This bill, if enacted, would undercut player engagement in the federal government and shift things too heavily in favor of regional government. We'd be down to a one-point-five-tier game. That's not good from a game design point of view.
So on that basis, Nay.

[Joseph Cao]

I don't particularly like this bill but there are surely better arguments to make against it than Tim's, at a time when 95% of the game's activity is taking place here in the Senate.