AMOUNT OF TIME YOU CAN SPEAK ON THE FLOOR

[Guest LES]

IF I GET RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIRMAN, HOW LONG AM I ALLOWED TO STAND AND SPEAK FOR ?

[Richard Brown]

For ten minutes, unless you have a rule or bylaw provision to the contrary, and unless someone makes a motion to limit debate.

 

Each member may speak twice on the same day for ten minutes per speech on the same question, but you are not allowed to speak the second time until everyone else wishing to speak has done so.  It's on page 43 of RONR 11th edition.

 

It's also addressed on page 387 starting on line 29.

[Shmuel Gerber]

In the absence of an order or special rule to the contrary, perhaps the answer should be "For ten minutes, or as long as you can keep your remarks germane to the immediately pending debatable question, whichever is less."

[Guest David Spann]

I had been given the floor and was speaking to the public when the chairman of the board told me to stop, there was no reason given for his request which I complied with , does the chair have the right to sequester my right to speak?

[Richard Brown]

I had been given the floor and was speaking to the public when the chairman of the board told me to stop, there was no reason given for his request which I complied with , does the chair have the right to sequester my right to speak?

 

Not as long as you are within the confines that Mr. Gerber mentioned above. 

 

Edited to add:  David, are you referring to the original poster's original question?  Your question indicates to me that you might be talking about addressing some kind of public body: "I had been given the floor and was speaking to the public when the chairman of the board told me to stop".   If this was some kind of public body, then other rules probably apply.

 

New questions should normally be posted as a new topic to avoid confusion.

[Guest David Spann]

sorry about the post being tagged to another post and yes I agree --should have started a new topic--to ans.your question what I was in question about does follow along the same lines as the original post, time allotment also I would like to hear about the other rules that apply when speaking to the public, once again my apology on causing confusion ( 1st time user)

[Josh Martin]

I had been given the floor and was speaking to the public when the chairman of the board told me to stop, there was no reason given for his request which I complied with , does the chair have the right to sequester my right to speak?

 

Since the chair gave no reason for his request, it's hard to say whether it was proper. The chair can only cut you off if you run out of time or violate some other rule of debate (such as the rules of germaneness or decorum).

 

also I would like to hear about the other rules that apply when speaking to the public

 

I'm afraid we can't help you there. There are no special rules in RONR for public bodies. Your assembly may have adopted its own rules and/or there may be rules in state law, but such rules are beyond the scope of this forum.

[Gary Novosielski]

I had been given the floor and was speaking to the public when the chairman of the board told me to stop, there was no reason given for his request which I complied with , does the chair have the right to sequester my right to speak?

 

The chair does have the right to stop you if you forget the rule that all remarks must be addressed to (or through) the chair.   If you were speaking "to the public", then it's likely you were not following that rule.  

 

But the chair can't just stop you from speaking without telling you why.  And if he doesn't, you have the right to find out.  

 

Other reasons might include:  your time was up, you were wandering off topic, you were impugning another member's motives, etc.  There are a variety of reasons, but there has to be one before the chair can make you stop talking.

[Josh Martin]

The chair does have the right to stop you if you forget the rule that all remarks must be addressed to (or through) the chair.   If you were speaking "to the public", then it's likely you were not following that rule.  

 

Unless the member was addressing an individual directly, then I don't think this is really an issue.