Can president deny a motion?

[Guest Colby]

during our meeting last week, our president was brought up for impeachment. the protocol for this is provided in our bylaws as simply requiring a 3/4 vote when brought up at at any regular meeeting with an active quorum. I don't know if the 3/4 would have been met but it didn't go much beyond the motion and second as the president declined to entertain the motion. can the president decline a motion for his own impeachment? isn't there a conflict of interest that would demand that some one else take over at that point?

[Robert B Fish]

The president does not have the power to deny a motion on his authority alone unless your bylaws say that he does.

If he ruled the motion out of order, he must state the reason for his ruling. You may appeal the ruling to the assembly and they can overrule his ruling with a majority vote.

If he is just trying to stonewall you, make a motion to suspend the rules and have someone else preside, such a the vice-president or an outside neutral person. A 2/3 vote is required for this.

-Bob

[Guest Colby]

could you point me to any documentation on what it means to declare a motion out of order?

[Josh Martin]

could you point me to any documentation on what it means to declare a motion out of order?

RONR, 10th ed., pgs. 240-252

The short version is that the chair would be ruling that the motion violates some rule in the parliamentary authority or your assembly's customized rules. Alternately, it may be that the motion itself is in order but it is not in order at that particular time. The chair should state his reason for ruling the motion out of order, and his ruling is subject to appeal.

The President can't "deny" or rule a motion out of order simply because he doesn't like it.