Hacker News Reader

> Why do we need to attach riders / sneak in legislation?

Because they can't agree on anything normally, so the only way to make changes is to shove them in with things they must agree on.

> What changes could we make to the constitution to avoid this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-subject_rule

Multiple states already have this.

View on HN

This can have interesting consequences, because politicians are going to be politicians.

> The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus sued, arguing that the omnibus bill, whose original title is over 300 words before it keels over in repetition of the word “subdivision,” violated the single-subject rule.

https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2025/09/the-minnes...

Scoping the single subject gets a bit tough, in practice.

It works just fine for the vast majority of US states, including all the largest ones (California, New York, Texas). I don't think the federal government is special here.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com