Advisory Votes for the Parliamentarian
Chair and AgendaChair commands the meetingResponsible for keeping order and following rulesMaintaining the agendaRecognizing who can speakPunishing members for disobedienceChair creates the agenda
AgendaChronology of an SGA GBM:Motion to call the meeting to order (start)Roll callConvening business (bringing everyone together)Amendment and approval of the agendaPublic inputReportsNon-legislative businessFirst ReadingSecond ReadingProspective Legislation & AnnouncementsMotion to adjourn the meeting (close)
First and Second ReadingFirst ReadingLegislation is introduced and described to the SenateNo debate can happenSecond ReadingMust be passed by appropriate committeeDebate can happenActual vote on bill happens
Bill andCommitteesMust have 1 introducer and 2 SGA sponsorsMust be passed by majority voteSeveral standing committees:Academic Affairs, Civic Engagement, Finance, Health, Safety, and Sustainability, Internal Affairs, Student Organizations, Student ServicesBills are given to committees in first readingBills must be passed by a majority vote in committee to make it to second reading
MotionsRRoR allows every member of SGA to make motions for what they want at a timeMany motions require a second, or someone else who agrees to put the motion forwardNOTE: Motion is the noun, Move is the verb. You move for a motion
Motions MORE :)Main motions: most common and can only be brought forth when no other motions are on the floorSubsidiary motions: change or modify main motionsPrivileged motions: allowed to interrupt other motions and take precedence over other motions on the floorIncidental motions: allowed to interrupt other motions but are short and tend to be questions or statements
Incidental Motions“Point of Order”: said when to call out rule breaking“Point of Information”: said when to inquire about the business at hand or to give valuable information to a question“[Point of] Parliamentary Inquiry”: said when to inquire about the rules of the SGA Constitutions, Bylaws, RRoRObjection: said when to stop an irrelevant, inappropriate, or undesirable motion or item from being considered“I object to the consideration of this question”Needs a 2/3 vote to stop consideration
Incidental Motions MORE :)Appeal: said when to challenge a ruling made by the chair“I appeal the Chair’s decision”Needs a 2/3 vote to reverse the chairs decisionNOTE: these are not all incidental motions, just the important ones, there are more niche onesNOTE: All can interrupt the speaker, don’t need a second, and are all at the chair’s discretion
Privileged MotionsMotion to AdjournMotion to RecessPoint of PrivilegeProceed to Orders of the DayMotion to Suspend the RulesMotion to Address the SenateNOTE: Motion to Adjourn, Motion to Recess, and Point of Privilege take priority above all motions in the mentioned order
Motion to AdjournSaid when to end a meetingSecond is neededCannot interrupt speakerNeeds simple majority vote to pass“I move to adjourn”Can also be to set a time to adjourn “I move to adjourn at [time]”
Motion to RecessSaid when to have a break in the meetingSecond is neededCannot interrupt speakerNeeds simple majority vote to pass“I move that the Senate recess until [time]” or “I move to recess for [period of time]”
Point of PrivilegeSaid when to complain about something that may affect the whole meeting, ex: noise, temperature, etc.Second is not neededCan interrupt speakerNo vote needed“Point of Privilege, [reason]”
Proceed to Orders of the DaySaid when to make the meeting conform to the agendaSecond is not neededCan interrupt speakerChair obeys or 2/3 vote to deny“Will the assembly proceed to the orders of the day?”
Motion to Suspend the RulesSaid when to change the normal rules of procedureSecond is neededCannot interrupt speakerNeeds 2/3 votes of all senators to pass“I move to suspend [specific rules] in order to [describe purpose of suspending rules]”NOTE: SGA Constitution cannot be suspended
Motion to Address the SenateSaid when to speak to the senate as a whole and not related to what’s happening at handSecond is not neededCannot interrupt speakerAt Chair's discretion“I move to address the Senate”
Subsidiary MotionsMotion to AmendMotion to PostponeMotion for Moderated CaucusMotion for Q&AMotion to Limit or Extend DebateMotion to Lay on the TableMotion to VoteMotion to Reconsider
Motion to AmendSaid when to change a motion or billSecond is neededCannot interrupt speakerNeeds simple majority vote“I move to amend this [bill/resolution/motion]”
Motion to PostponeSaid when to move discussion of an item or motion to a certain time and/or dateSecond is neededCannot interrupt speakerNeeds simple majority vote“I move to postpone this question until [time/date]”Can also postpone indefinitely (i.e. without a set time/date), which often “kills” the item
Motion for Moderated CaucusSaid when to debate an item or motion and for senators to add themselves to a speakers list to speakSecond is neededCannot interrupt speakerNeeds simple majority vote“I move for a moderated caucus for [time frame] with [time frame] speaking time”
Motion for Q&ASaid when to debate an item or motion and for senators to add themselves to a speakers list to ask questions to the speakerSecond is neededCannot interrupt speakerNeeds simple majority vote“I move for a Q&A for [time frame] with [time frame] speaking time”
Motion to Limit or Extend DebateSaid when to prolong or end ongoing debate that hasn’t expiredSecond is neededCannot interrupt speakerNeeds simple majority vote to extend, 2/3 to end“I move to extend [type of debate] by [time amount]” or “I move to end [type of debate]”NOTE: type of debate refers to moderated caucus or Q&A
Motion to Lay on the TableSaid when to temporarily stop discussion of an item in place for a more urgent itemSecond is neededCannot interrupt speakerNeeds simple majority vote“I move to lay the question on the table”
Motion to Lay on the Table MORE :)To take up a tabled item, you say “I move we take from the table [item/motion]”Any item “on the table” still at the end of a meeting must be resolved before adjournment:Postponing until later dateVoting on it
Motion to VoteSaid when to move into voting proceduresSecond is neededCannot interrupt speakerNeeds simple majority vote“I move to have a vote (on the previous question)”
Motion to Vote MORE :)Senators can move for different voting proceduresRoll Call vote: counted and recorded who voted for whatSecret Ballot vote: counted but who voted for what is not recordedUnanimous consent: passes an item or motion quickly, but if someone objects, it failsA second is needed, RRoR is ambiguous as to the vote needed
Motion to ReconsiderSaid when to reopen debate and vote again on a motion or item already decided uponSecond is neededCan interrupt speakerNeeds simple majority vote“I move to reconsider [item/motion]”NOTE: you must be from the winning side and only some motions can be reconsidered (ex: adjournment cannot be reconsidered)
Actual Advisory Votes Needed
Motion to Discharge CommitteeRemove a bill from committee consideration and bring it to the Senate Floor for a debate and voteRequires a second and a simple majority voteProblem: Can be abused with essentially every bill and if it is, then what would be the point of having committees?
Motion to Rescind or Expunge from MinutesWould remove anything mentioned in the motion from the minutes of the SGA Record.Requires a second and a simple majority voteProblem: SGA has a constitutional duty to publicize minutes
Request to Be Excused from DutyThis request would free from any obligations stated in the BylawsCan be asked by any senator to the JHU SenateSimple majority voteProblem: Obligations are in the Bylaws for a reason, but this could be useful for any exception that may pop up in the future
Chair’s Power to Recess in EmergenciesCommon thing in medium to large assemblies where voting and debate can take timeI would like to add it for formality's sakeRemember: senators would be able to appeal the chair's decision to recess with a 2/3 vote
Vote Required to Use a Different Voting MethodProblem: Any senator can call for a new voting method, which could take time to agree uponGenerally, less than a majority is needed to use a different method
Other Changes I SuggestMotion for a Moderated Caucus would not require a speaking timeSenators would be free to speak for how long they want and how many times they want, at the discretion of the chair.This would just make a motion for a Q&A and a motion for a moderated caucus more distinct and lessen confusion.Change the Bylaws to allow debate for the first reading of a bill, but it cannot exceed more than 15 minutes