Lay on the table vs. Question of privilege

[woodpusher]

What is the difference between these two?

Lay on the table is the highest ranking subsidiary motion - requires majority vote. The pending motion is reconsidered at the next meeting under old business.

The question of privilege is a privileged motion - it could require only the chair's approval...might the chair then submit it to the assembly, or are these two different things?

http://nancysylvester.com/docs/Resources/scripts/docs/QUESTION_OF_PRIVILEGE.pdf

http://nancysylvester.com/docs/Resources/scripts/docs/QUESTION_OF_PRIVILEGE_MOTION.pdf

Ordinarily, would the pending motion be considered once the question of privilege was settled (at the same meeting), while with lay on the table, the pending motion would not be considered until "old business" at the following meeting?

[Dan Honemann]

"Lay on the table is the highest ranking subsidiary motion - requires majority vote. The pending motion is reconsidered at the next meeting under old business."

For starters, let's just note that the first sentence is okay. The second is completely wrong.

[woodpusher]

OK, to reconsider a motion after it has been laid on the table, a motion to take from the table must be passed.

After the question of privilege has been handled, the pending motion is still pending. Is that it?

[Dan Honemann]

OK, to reconsider a motion after it has been laid on the table, a motion to take from the table must be passed.

After the question of privilege has been handled, the pending motion is still pending. Is that it?

Yes, this seems to be a correct statement, but there are other substantial differences between a motion to Lay on the Table and a question of privilege. See page 227, lines 12-29, for a description of the latter.

[Rev Ed]

And let's not confuse the motion to Lay on the Table and the motion to Postpone to a Definite Time. The former is a temporary matter at a meeting to deal with something more urgent, where the motion would be taken up again once the more important issue is dealt with. The latter allows the group to deal with the motion at another time, such as the next meeting.

[Guest Guest]

The motion to Lay on the Table isa powerful motion in the sense that if the motion is not taken from the table, it has effectively been suppressed without a 2/3rds majority. Thus, if used improperly, it has the potential for effectively denying a member's right to have his motion heard and debated.

The question of privilege is entirely different in form and purpose.