GOVERNMENT BILL 06
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
An act to abolish the atypical procedure for handling QUESTIONS of order currently in use by the Student Senate
Short Title: Point of Order Standardization Act (Senate)
Sponsored by: Senators Fabricius and Palin
First Reading: April 17, 2002 Version Date: April 14, 2002
Referred to: __________________________________________________________.
WHEREAS, the current Senate Standing Rule regarding points of order differs considerably from standard parliamentary procedure; and,
WHEREAS, the current rules shift debate from after the ruling to before the ruling; and,
WHEREAS, prior to ruling, the Student Senate President should consult privately knowledgeable parties, not preside over a debate of Senators trying to persuade him of their stances; and,
WHEREAS, the current rules are open to the possibility that the President and a third of the Senate could subvert any Senate rule to the scorn of a majority; now, therefore be it
ENACTED, by the North Carolina State University Student Senate that:
Section 1. Student Body Statutes §2-1.4(g) shall be struck:
(g) Points of order. If any Senator has cause to believe that one or more of the Rules of the Senate is not being followed, he or she may rise and inform the President that he or she rises to a point of order. The Senator raising the point of order may interrupt the speaking Senator, and the President shall recognize all points of order. The President shall recognize the Senator raising the point of order for a period not to exceed one minute, and may recognize additional Senators in turn for a period not to exceed one minute each. All such recognitions shall be for purposes of discussion of the point of order only. The President shall rule on the point of order after adequate consultation with the Parliamentarian and other Senators, and it shall be in order as a question of privilege to overturn the ruling of the President, subject to the consent of a two-thirds majority of the Senate, and such a motion shall be decided without debate.
and the following shall be inserted:
(g) Points of order. If any Senator has cause to believe that one or more of the Rules of the Senate is not being followed, he or she may rise and inform the President that he or she rises to a point of order. The Senator raising the point of order may interrupt the speaking Senator, and the President shall recognize all points of order. The President shall recognize the Senator raising the point of order for a period not to exceed one minute to explain his or her point. Following the President’s ruling, the motion to appeal from the decision of the chair shall be in order. Such motion shall be debatable except in cases these rules provide otherwise, and a simple majority shall be required to overturn the ruling of the President.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.