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? on Subsidiary motion motion to postpone/made during debate on Main Motion


Guest Amyo

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If a main motion is made to act on a particular item, and a second to the motion is made and debate begun, if a different member then brings up a discussion to postpone the the action, that is out of order correct?

After a main motion is made, seconded and debate begun, wouldn't that member have to bring a subsidiary motion to postpone to a certain forward first, which then would need a second, then could be debated & voted upon to postpone.

If that vote to postpone to a certain time passes, what happened to the main motion (the first motion to act on the particular item & its' second) - is there something that needs to be done on the this that original main motion?

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The motion to postpone to a certain time (RONR (11th ed.), p. 179ff) can be made by any member who has floor, not just the maker of the main motion.

If it's postponed to the next session and the next session is within a quarterly time interval (pp. 89-90), the motion will come up automatically at that next session under the category General Orders in the Standard Order of Business (p. 359).

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Just to clarify. So in the middle of debate on the main motion any member may make a motion to postpone action on the main motion?

Immediately any discussion on the main motion ceases and the new motion to postpone would need a second, debate and vote.

If it passes, then they just move on to a new agenda item; nothing further happens with the main motion until it comes at that the future meeting date?

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Addressing your first question - yes, it would be out of order to begin discussing postponement of the main question without a motion to that effect. The chair should ask that member if he wishes to make the motion to postpone to a certain time. The time to debate whether the main motion should or should not be postponed is after the motion to postpone is made and seconded.

As to your second question - no, nothing else needs to be done to the main motion if the motion to postone is adopted. The chair announces that the motion is postponed to whatever date is set by the motion to postpone, and then moves on to the next item of business. And note also that the motion to postpone would also include certain other subsidiary motions that might have been made, such as amendments to the main motion, or a motion to refer to a committee, if those motions had not been acted upon. The motion to postpone would carry each of these motions together with the main motion to the time specified by the postponement..

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The motion to postpone to a certain time (RONR (11th ed.), p. 179ff) can be made by any member who has floor, not just the maker of the main motion.

George, I marvel at your brilliance in understanding what this question was about. Myself, I was clueless. :)

If it's postponed to the next session and the next session is within a quarterly time interval (pp. 89-90), the motion will come up automatically at that next session under the category General Orders in the Standard Order of Business (p. 359).

I think what you meant here is that if the next session is within a quarterly time interval, then the motion may be postponed to the next session, in which case it will come up automatically at that next session under the category General Orders in the Standard Order of Business.

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George, I marvel at your brilliance in understanding what this question was about. Myself, I was clueless. :)

I wouldn't call it brilliance, maybe clairvoyance? Along with loitering here for far too many years. ;)

I think what you meant here is that if the next session is within a quarterly time interval, then the motion may be postponed to the next session, in which case it will come up automatically at that next session under the category General Orders in the Standard Order of Business.

Indeed so. I doubt they wanted it postponed to later in the same session, so I added some words I probably didn't need.

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If a main motion is made to act on a particular item, and a second to the motion is made and debate begun, if a different member then brings up a discussion to postpone the the action, that is out of order correct?

If the issue was that it was a different member bringing up a motion to postpone - a motion no longer "belongs" to the member who made the motion after it has been restated by the chair, but to the assembly as a whole. See FAQ #8 for more details on that.

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