Original Status
TFB-24-1-2024:
In the Tarpeian Forum
Date: (Month, Day, Year)
Mark Shubert
Augmenting Congressional Apportionment
Whereas concerns of representation in Congress of the US population has increased over the past century since the last Apportionment Act passed;
and, whereas an increase in the number of seats in both the House of Representatives and Senate will alleviate such concerns.
Therefore,
Section 1: The number of Senate seats per state will increase from two to three. Given the current total of 50 states there will be a total of 150 Senators.
Section 2: The number of House seats will be a ratio of 6-1 of the Senate seats. Given the new total of 150 Senators there will be a total of 900 House seats.
Section 3: The populated and organized territories of the US will include 1 non-voting House seat each along with the District of Columbia.
Section 4: Given the new number of House seats at 900 and Senators at 150, the total count for the electoral college will be 1,053; three electors from D.C. 527 electoral votes will be needed to win the Presidential election.
Contemporary Status
AAB-25- 001- 2024:
In the Amending Congress
1/23/24
Mark Shubert
Land-back and Incorporation
Preamble:
Whereas Native Americans have lost their land through American belligerance, and
Whereas it is the duty of any civilized people to return the property and dignity of those assaulted, and
Whereas no one should have their homes denied to them or their decendents, and
Whereas union is the principle policy of a civilized people.
Therefore:
Section 1: All treaties with the various Native tribes will be reviewed and any & all land, which is not currently residential nor commercial nor a local, state, or federal park, will be returned to its legal owners.
Section 2: The various Native tribes will, by general vote within each tribe, determine which plots of land, which is now legally theirs, will become a park protected from any development.
Section 3: Any Native land which is not determined to become a park nor is currently being used residentially nor commerically will be divided into equal plots and handed out to the tribe's people. Any native who currently has land that is less acerage than the plots to be handed out will receieve land until they have an equal acerage; those who have more land than what is to be handed out will keep what they own and will not recieve any more. The land that is handed out will become the private property of its recepiants.
Section 4: After all land in the current reservations is either determined to become a park or is handed out to become private property then the reservations will be fully incorporated into the states they reside in; the reservation system is to be abolished, along with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, with county and municiple governments and jurisdictions created. All current residents of reservations will be automatically granted full citizenship as a natural born citizen will all rights and immunities.
Section 5: The federal government will exempt all Native people from federal personal income taxes for a period of 10 years. The federal government will pay for the construction, maintenance, and operation of all schools, roads, hospitals, clinics, police, firefighters, first responders, water, electricity, internet, sewage, and farms to be built within the former reservation land for a period of 25 years.
Section 6: The Department of Education is to include Native history to a greater extent than what it is now for all schooling.
Section 7: Local, state, and federal governments are encouraged to change the names of any and all parks, rivers, roads, and buildings to Native names and Native cultural motifs are encouraged to be included in architecture and interior design. All land around the world has an indigenous culture, Native American culture is America's indigenous culture and ought to be made common to this land once again.
Original Status
AAB-13-001: 2022
In the Amending Congress
August 30, 2022
Mark Shubert
Supreme Reform
Preamble:
Whereas the current Supreme Court of the United States requires reform in order to make that institution effective and representative of the people,
Whereas the Constitution is established by "We the People" and so their direct representation in each branch of government is necessary,
And whereas the President and Senate have abused the Judicial branch by politicizing or postponing Judicial functions by refusing to replace Justices on a timely manner in order to wait for political opportunities.
Therefore:
Section 1: Increase number of justices to 13 while only requiring nine justices to hear a case. If only 9 justices per case participate then this will increase the number of cases heard by 40% as the combination of nine justices increases. Cases can be heard by courts of 9, 11, or 13 justices, the justices decide how many will hear a case based on availability and interest. If only 9 wish to hear a case then they can and the other 4 do not have to. If the four do not hear the case then they cannot participate in the decision of the court. If ten wish to hear a case they will either have to convince one of the other three to hear the case or one will have to recuse themselves.
Section 2: Increase number of circuit courts to 13.
Current
Proposed
Section 3: Have each circuit court, either from the state legislatures or the people, elect supreme court justices instead of the president and the senate is not needed to approve or deny them. At the start of this change, justices will be elected by the state legislatures of all of the states in the respective circuit. The state legislatures of each circuit can change this electoral process with unanimity to a general election within the circuit court.
1. Each state in the circuit can nominate justices and this process should be determined by the states in the circuit. For example, states can nominate the same number of justices or by population so the more populous states nominate more justices.
2. The campaigns of the justices nominated will be entirely funded by the state that nominates them and no donations from people or businesses are allowed to go to the candidate; the state legislature will run the campaign and each of the circuit court nominees will receive equal funds agreed upon by all the states in the circuit.
3. Each circuit will send two people, a justice and a replacement (vice justice), the vice justice will not be able to act as judge until the justice resigns or expires.
4. The justices and replacements sent must be Esquires and have served in any kind of court as a judge not just as a lawyer.
5. Tenure for each justice and their replacement is 13 years on good behavior, once a circuit court elects a justice they cannot be recalled. Only an impeachment by the House and trial held by the Senate can remove justices if convicted. Minimum age for Justices is 45 and the oldest age for someone to become a justice is whatever the minimum age of federally recognized retirement is (currently 62).
6. Term limit of just one term, after serving they will be allowed a seat on their respective circuit courts for life on good behavior so they do not have to worry about finding work after their term on the supreme court.
7. One circuit court will be up for nominating a justice every year.
Section 4: Rename the Supreme Court to the Constitutional Court or the Federal Court or the National Court of Appeals or another suggestion that is agreed upon by Congress.
Section 5: Removing the President and Senate from adding new justices will help depoliticize the position and also the two other branches will not be distracted from the process of choosing new justices which often takes a long time and effort away from their other duties.