Removal of Close Suggestions

[J. J.]

Can anyone offer insight on why the motion "Close Suggestions" was dropped from the 12th edition?  

[Josh Martin]

On 4/26/2024 at 6:15 AM, J. J. said:

Can anyone offer insight on why the motion "Close Suggestions" was dropped from the 12th edition?  

Well, I don't know personally, but I can speculate.

The rule in the 11th edition reads as follows:

"The Previous Question cannot be ordered to stop the making of suggestions for filling a blank. The same result may be accomplished, however, by a motion to Close Suggestions which is identical to a motion to Close Nominations (31). It may be adopted by a two-thirds vote and is in order if a reasonable opportunity to make suggestions has been given." RONR (11th ed.), p. 167, ll. 15-20

The rules in the 12th edition read as follows:

"Proposals to fill a blank in a debatable motion are debatable. When there is no response to the chair's call for further suggestions, the chair asks, “Are you ready for the question?” or “Is there any debate?” To speak in debate, a member must first be recognized by the chair. The member may then speak in favor of or against a suggestion made previously or make a new suggestion and speak in favor of it.

As a consequence of the rules stated in the preceding paragraphs, debate on the comparative merits of the different suggestions may take place both concurrently with the making of suggestions and after all suggestions have been made. In any event, in this debate the underlying question is that of choosing the suggestion(s) that shall fill the blank, and each member is therefore permitted to speak no more than twice per day on that question, regardless of the number of suggestions made. When no further suggestions are offered, and there is no further debate, a vote is taken on the suggestions, as described below.

Proposals to fill a blank are not amendable.

Motions to Limit or Extend Limits of Debate or for the Previous Question can be applied to the consideration of suggestions, and when voting on the suggestions has been ordered by adoption of either of these motions, no further suggestions for filling the blank may be made at the time the order goes into effect. However, if a member obtains the floor and moves the Previous Question before a reasonable opportunity to make suggestions has been given, the chair must call for suggestions before stating the motion for the Previous Question." RONR (12th ed.) 12:98-101

So it would appear to me that under the prior rules on this matter, suggestions were taken first, then debate. As a consequence, it was necessary for some motion to "close suggestions," in a similar manner to the motion to close nominations.

Under the rules in the 12th edition, however, "debate on the comparative merits of the different suggestions may take place both concurrently with the making of suggestions and after all suggestions have been made" and "The member may then speak in favor of or against a suggestion made previously or make a new suggestion and speak in favor of it." As a consequence of these rules, the authors appear to have determined that a separate motion to "close suggestions" is no longer necessary, and instead, the Previous Question can be used to end debate and the making of new suggestions.

If a situation arises in which it is still desired to close suggestions (but not to close debate), I would think this could still be accomplished by means of a motion to Suspend the Rules, however, I think that if this motion is made "before a reasonable opportunity to make suggestions has been given," the chair must call for suggestions before stating the question on that motion.

Edited April 26, 2024 at 12:57 PM by Josh Martin