laser158689

I'm a bit unclear on exactly what should come back from a committee after an item has been referred to it. Sounds like there should at least be some sort of "final report". It sounds like the committees can introduce a variety of items along with that final report. What about the original item? Does it come back before the assembly? (What if the assembly doesn't like what the committee wants, and wants the original item back?)

Our state has relaxed the freedom of information requirements to allow for remote meetings. My municipality is going to attempt to make this work for our over-sized legislature (150+). Our Rules (bylaws) never contemplated a virtual meeting. Things like Meeting Location and Seating obviously are inapplicable. Others have obvious analogues in a virtual meeting or are essentially unimpacted. One aspect that seems problematic is voting procedure. We specify a voting method that is detailed about who handles a district's voting card (vote for public record) and that the individual records their own votes. Can we use an alternative voting procedure? What would we need to do to accomplish that? It's been suggested that the voting procedure is just inapplicable and we will vote how we vote. It's also been suggested that we need to Suspend the Rules to not use the voting procedure in the Rules (bylaws). Possibly, we should also specify the replacement voting procedure. RONR p263 also suggests that we cannot do either. Thoughts?

Does a condition such as... "...shall hold office for a term of two years and until a successor shall be elected and have qualified." in any way impact the nature of Adjourning as described in RONR p237 ll6-15?

Our Rules (municipal town meeting) have an interesting provision for a "second reading" on certain types of items (ordinances, rules changes). This Rule says... b. The Proposed Resolution shall then be presented at that initial Town Meeting, and committee reports shall be given. Discussion on the item will be appropriate. Motions to amend The Proposed Resolution may be voted upon at that meeting. c. The Moderator will then place the item on the Call of the next regularly scheduled Town Meeting. So, we considered it in January. Now it's back for the next regularly scheduled meeting. The meeting has not happened, so we have not taken it up at the second meeting. Essentially, the question can be restated this way... Does the motion to Object to Consideration apply at any session where it might be taken up, or is it only applicable at the very first session where it might be taken up?

Spitballing about how to avoid an annoying item which is unfinished business from a previous session, our Moderator said that we could not use Object to Consideration as the item was already under consideration at the previous session. Is that a common interpretation/understanding?