Limits on Debate

[Tomm]

The general members of the organization are allowed to attend Board meetings, which consist of 9 members. The Board recently established a Special Rule of Order allowing non-Board members to speak during debate but with no limits established or stated.

Question: Do the limits of debate revert back to speak twice up to 10 minutes each, or do they adhere to the rules for small boards with no limits on time or the number of times you can speak?. 

[Transpower]

Do you have any rule specifying how many minutes a member of the Board can speak to a motion?  Presumably, such a limit, if it exists, would apply to non-Board members, as well.

[Dan Honemann]

1 hour ago, Transpower said:

Do you have any rule specifying how many minutes a member of the Board can speak to a motion?  Presumably, such a limit, if it exists, would apply to non-Board members, as well.

Under the default rules in RONR, no speech by a board member in debate on a motion may exceed 10 minutes in duration unless he obtains the consent of the assembly. 

 

[Josh Martin]

4 hours ago, Tomm said:

Question: Do the limits of debate revert back to speak twice up to 10 minutes each, or do they adhere to the rules for small boards with no limits on time or the number of times you can speak?. 

It should first be clarified that the rule for small boards is that members may speak any number of times, but only for up to ten minutes each time.

In any event, however, it is up to the board to interpret its own rules, and to amend those rules for clarity if needed. RONR has no answer to this question.

Edited September 23, 2019 at 01:42 PM by Josh Martin