Voting by Chairperson

[Guest Tom Gill]

Does the Chairperson have the right to vote on matters or are they just to vote to break a tie vote of other members of the committee

[George Mervosh]

In committees, the chair fully participates in all areas, including voting every time. RONR notes committee chairs are often the most involved/active members.

[David A Foulkes]

And just to be sure, the fact that the chair is not restricted from voting does not obligate him to do so. He can abstain.

[George Mervosh]

And just to be sure, the fact that the chair is not restricted from voting does not obligate him to do so. He can abstain.

I'm in favor of removing any committee member for abstaining except when the rule on p. 394, lines 15-19 applies, but we both digress.

[David A Foulkes]

Although lines 6-13 tend to shed a dim light on those that follow, the first 21 words notwithstanding.

[George Mervosh]

Although lines 6-13 tend to shed a dim light on those that follow, the first 21 words notwithstanding.

The importance to an assembly of a committee's study and recommendation of an issue outweighs a committee member's preferences. If a person does not want to fully participate at the committee level, then remove them.

[Rev Ed]

The importance to an assembly of a committee's study and recommendation of an issue outweighs a committee member's preferences. If a person does not want to fully participate at the committee level, then remove them.

Or better yet, do not appoint/elect Committee members who may want to abstain on issues for which there is no reason not to vote.

[hmtcastle]

Or better yet, do not appoint/elect Committee members who may want to abstain on issues for which there is no reason not to vote.

That assumes [a] some sort of "sixth sense" on the part of the electors and that the person is abstaining on an issue for which there is no reason not to vote. I see no basis for either assumption.

[David A Foulkes]

Or better yet, do not appoint/elect Committee members who may want to abstain on issues for which there is no reason not to vote.

So, duty to vote trumps right to abstain?

[Josh Martin]

So, duty to vote trumps right to abstain?

Not in the sense that it would actually prohibit the member from abstaining, but the entire point of a committee is to appoint the members who are the most passionate and knowledgeable about a given set of issues so they may advise the assembly. In the general assembly, members will frequently abstain because they don't know or don't care about a particular issue. If a committee member frequently doesn't know or doesn't care about an issue to come before the committee, perhaps he's on the wrong committee.