Tomm Posted March 25, 2024 at 04:11 PM Report Share Posted March 25, 2024 at 04:11 PM How do, or can you limit speech in a Committee of the Whole? You obviously don't want to give 500 members an unlimited number of times to speak that are permitted under the procedures for small boards, which applies to committees, and you can't use the motion to limit debate. Can you include in your motion to go into a Committee of the Whole that members can only speak for 2 minutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Elsman Posted March 25, 2024 at 04:56 PM Report Share Posted March 25, 2024 at 04:56 PM Unless the assembly instructs the Committee of the Whole otherwise, there is no way to limit debate in Committee of the Whole. The only recourse is for the committee to rise and recommend to the assembly to adopt an instruction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomm Posted March 25, 2024 at 05:17 PM Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2024 at 05:17 PM On 3/25/2024 at 9:56 AM, Rob Elsman said: The only recourse is for the committee to rise and recommend to the assembly to adopt an instruction. As I understand this to mean (rise) is, the committee of the whole must first come out of committee then move to limit the time? Would that require the assembly to first motion to suspend the rules? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted March 25, 2024 at 05:34 PM Report Share Posted March 25, 2024 at 05:34 PM On 3/25/2024 at 11:11 AM, Tomm said: How do, or can you limit speech in a Committee of the Whole? The Committee of the Whole, itself, cannot limit debate in Committee of the Whole. But the parent assembly may limit debate by giving the committee instructions in this matter. This could be done when first adopting the motion to enter Committee of the Whole. Alternatively, if the need for such limitations is not realized until after entering Committee of the Whole, the Committee of the Whole can "rise and report" and recommend the parent assembly adopt such limitations. "The only way for debate to be closed or limited in the committee is for the assembly to specify such conditions before going into committee of the whole. If the committee develops a desire to have debate limited, it can only do so by rising and requesting the assembly to impose the desired limits, as explained below. If debate has been closed at a particular time by order of the assembly, the committee does not have the power, even by unanimous consent, to extend the time." RONR (12th ed.) 52:10 "If the committee, to facilitate completion of its work, wishes the assembly to take an action outside the committee's powers that requires the adoption of an undebatable motion—for example, to limit debate in the committee—a motion to rise should be made in a form like the following: MEMBER (obtaining the floor): I move that the committee rise and request that debate be limited… [specifying the desired limitation]. (Second.) If this motion is adopted, the committee chairman reports to the assembly as follows: COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Mr. President, the committee of the whole has had under consideration… [describing the referred matter] and has come to no conclusion thereon, but asks permission [or “leave”] to continue sitting with debate limited… [specifying the limitation]. The presiding officer then puts the question on granting the request, and if the result is affirmative, the committee chairman resumes the chair." RONR (12th ed.) 52:14 On 3/25/2024 at 11:11 AM, Tomm said: Can you include in your motion to go into a Committee of the Whole that members can only speak for 2 minutes? Yes. On 3/25/2024 at 12:17 PM, Tomm said: As I understand this to mean (rise) is, the committee of the whole must first come out of committee then move to limit the time? Yes. On 3/25/2024 at 12:17 PM, Tomm said: Would that require the assembly to first motion to suspend the rules? No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted March 26, 2024 at 01:06 AM Report Share Posted March 26, 2024 at 01:06 AM On 3/25/2024 at 12:11 PM, Tomm said: How do, or can you limit speech in a Committee of the Whole? You obviously don't want to give 500 members an unlimited number of times to speak that are permitted under the procedures for small boards, which applies to committees, and you can't use the motion to limit debate. Can you include in your motion to go into a Committee of the Whole that members can only speak for 2 minutes? Well, yes, the assembly can instruct the Committee of the Whole on the limits of debate, i.e., in the motion to resolve into CotW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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