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Charter Commission -1 July 13, 2018
<br />the merits of the pending question, and members should be mindful of the limits
<br />of debate. As the commission members note, you passed your rules today, so,
<br />those rules contain, basically, these provisions as outlined, and as matters come
<br />up, we'll address them at that time.
<br />Okay, next. Motions. As we did today, a motion is a formal proposal by a
<br />member, in a meeting, that the commission take a certain action. So, how a
<br />motion is brought before the commission is, as we noticed today, too, a member
<br />makes the motion, another member seconds the motion, and then we'd ask the
<br />Chair to state the question on the motion so that the record is clear, as far as what
<br />the commission would be considering.
<br />Common Procedural Motions. After a main motion is made, the floor is open to
<br />procedural motions. The following are common procedural motions, ranking
<br />from highest to lowest precedence. We'll go through these briefly today, lay on
<br />the table, call for the question, postpone to a certain, and amend.
<br />Lay on the Table. This motion is to allow the assembly to set aside the
<br />substantive motion to attend to other urgent business. It is recommended that this
<br />motion be used only when there is a real urgency. You need a second, it's not
<br />debatable or amendable, and requires a majority vote. So, the most common
<br />situation is where you have a pending motion, but for some reason, you need to
<br />set that aside and take care of something else, and that has happened from to time.
<br />It can be called lay on the table or it can be called postponed until the end of the
<br />agenda, things of that nature. But, it's basically to change your gears and work on
<br />something else that's urgent.
<br />Okay, next motion, Call for the Question. This motion is to use to close debate
<br />and move on to voting on the substantive motion. This needs a second. Again,
<br />not debatable, not amendable. This one here calls for two-thirds vote. So, this
<br />motion is usually used when you want to just vote, that you're done, you're ready,
<br />right? Usually, the body has talked the matter through over and under, upside
<br />down and—Chair Adams.
<br />CHR. ADAMS: So, you will hear me sometimes, I think. I've already said it.
<br />once, you'll hear me say for example, I'll call for the question. That is not this.
<br />They call for the question, motion is from another member of the commission,
<br />and then we vote. So, when I'm saying it, it's usually just a transition from the
<br />discussion to the fact that we're going to vote on the motion.
<br />MR. HENRICKS: If I could just add one thing into that too. Clearly, this motion
<br />is to close debate, and that means that some people aren't ready to do that,
<br />generally. Because everybody is ready, we don't need this. But, just to be clear,
<br />too, the person who's calling for the question needs to receive the floor to do so, it
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