2016 Washington State Democratic Convention. Convention Rules of Order

Transcription

1 2016 Washington State Democratic Convention Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center 1500 Broadway, Tacoma, WA June 17-19, 2016 Convention Rules of Order Proceedings at the Washington State Democratic Convention are governed by a number of different sets of rules. These include, in general order of priority: The Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States (the core document under which all Democratic Party business is conducted) The 2016 Delegate Selection Rules (describes how states may choose delegates to attend the 2016 Democratic National Convention; approved by the DNC in August 2014) The Charter of the Democratic Party of Washington (the document under which all Democratic Party business in Washington State is conducted) The Washington State Democrats 2016 Delegate Selection and Affirmative Action Plan (describes how Washington State will choose its delegates to attend the 2016 Democratic National Convention; approved by the Washington State Democratic Central Committee in April 2015 and the DNC in September 2015) The specific procedural Rules adopted by and for the 2016 Washington State Democratic Convention (proposed by the State Convention Rules Committee and presented to the Convention for approval on June 18, 2016) When one of the above sets of rules does not govern a situation, we refer to a standard set of rules for large meetings, Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised. Robert s Rules can seem complex but they are designed to reflect basic common sense principles of fairness: 1. A member of the meeting should not be allowed to speak twice on the same subject before someone else has spoken once on the subject. 2. Every member of the meeting should have the opportunity to know what is going on at all times. 3. Only urgent matters may interrupt someone who is speaking or break into a queue. 4. The group discusses one idea at a time and makes a decision about that idea before going to the next idea. Any exception to this is extraordinary and requires a motion and a vote. 5. In large meetings with heavy agendas time limits on debate are necessary to make sure the business at the end of the meeting gets the same attention from the body as the business at the beginning. 6. Any deviation from the agreed upon rules is an extraordinary decision, made by the whole group.

2 Motions and Debate Under Robert s Rules, new ideas are brought to the meeting by a report, an agenda item, or as new business. Each of these events creates a new piece of business called a motion that is then up for discussion. In most cases, a motion must be seconded before it can be discussed. The chair will ask if any delegate present wishes to second the motion. Only once a second delegate has indicated support can a motion be considered by the body. Once a motion has been made and seconded and put before the group by the chair for discussion, it will be discussed in an orderly fashion and then voted upon. Depending on how you feel about a motion, there are a number of things you may want to do: If you want to tell people why they should vote for or against the motion During the discussion period for the motion, join the queue of speakers. After being recognized by the chair, state your position ( I am for/against the motion because ) and then make your case within the time limit allowed by the rules of the day. Most of the time, each speaker will be limited to two minutes, and only two speakers will be allowed for each side. If you are in the queue and concerned that you will be skipped, first consider whether it is urgent enough to interrupt other speakers. If so, say Point of Order, wait for recognition by the chair, and then point out the urgent problem. If you have a question about the facts behind a motion or something claimed by another speaker (or if you wish to correct something said by another speaker) Join the queue of speakers. After being recognized by the chair, state your question or correct the previous speaker. Address your questions to the chair who will then seek appropriate clarification. Do not initiate a conversation with another speaker, as it makes it very hard for the rest of the group to follow what is happening. Do not attempt to interrupt with a Point of Information that is disruptive and timeconsuming. See the proper use of Point of Information later in the document.

3 If you want to change the wording of the motion or add or subtract from the motion without fundamentally changing the topic Join the queue of speakers. After being recognized by the chair, say I move to amend the motion by and then state that you want to add words to the motion, strike words from the motion, or strike and replace words. Certain motions, such as Charter Amendments, are not amendable because of notice requirements described in the Charter itself (remember, Robert s Rules are superseded by specific rules in other documents.) Other motions may not be amendable under the rules of the Convention (For example, resolutions cannot be amended during the debate. The Convention will have a lot of resolutions to get through, and debating the specific wording of each one will take up too much time.) If the motion you want to change is amendable and your motion to amend is seconded, your proposal to change the motion will be discussed next. You should explain your reasons for making the change only after the motion is seconded and discussion begins. The amendment will be either accepted or rejected by a vote and then the discussion of whether to accept the main motion will continue. If you want to stop the debate and immediate vote (also known as calling the question or previous question ) Join the queue to speak. After being recognized by the chair, say I move to close the debate. Before doing so, please recognize that this will require a 2/3 vote (or unanimous consent) and will often take longer than just listening to those who still want to speak. Your motion must be seconded, and there will be no discussion of the idea of closing debate. The motion must pass with 2/3 of the group s votes. You are confused about the main motion or a procedure underway and need immediate clarification Do not wait for recognition from the chair. Wait until the current speaker is done, and say Point of Information in a loud voice. The chair will recognize you, ask you to state your question, and will then attempt to clarify the situation. If there is a queue of speakers, consider joining the queue and speaking on your turn. Only interrupt with a Point of Information if it looks like there will be a vote or some other motion before you can find out what s happening.

4 Example Consideration of a Motion Order Step What to say 1 (During a pause in business) A member rises and addresses the chair. Mr./Madam chair. 2 The chair recognizes the member. The chair recognizes the delegate from the 50 th Legislative District. 3 The member makes a motion. I move to print a copy of Robert s Rules for all delegates. 4 Another member seconds the motion. Second. 5 The chair states the motion. It is moved and seconded to print a copy of Robert s Rules for all delegates. Is there any debate? 6 The members debate the motion. The chair recognizes the maker of the motion to speak to it The chair puts the question, and the members vote. Are there any other members wishing to speak on this motion? Those in favor of adopting the motion to print a copy of Robert s Rules for all delegates, raise your credential. [pause] Those opposed, raise your credential. 8 The chair announces the result of the vote. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the motion carries. A copy of Robert s Rules will be printed for all delegates.

5 Frequently Asked Questions How can I find out whether I m allowed to make a certain proposal? If you want to propose something reasonable during a meeting, you may join the queue and just ask the chair how to do it using parliamentary procedure. Some examples include: Stopping discussion on a motion temporarily and moving it later in the day Departing from the agenda to discuss something specific Limiting debate to a certain amount of time or number of speakers Taking a short break The chair may advise you against your proposal, or even tell you your proposal is Out of Order (not allowed under the rules). How are votes conducted? A typical Convention will consist of dozens of votes, and counting the exact number of delegates voting on each side of an issue is time-consuming. In order to keep things moving, but also to give everyone s vote an equal chance to be recognized, most votes on matters of substance will be conducted by show of credentials. The chair will attempt to quickly decide which side has the majority. If the chair cannot decide, they may call on the Tally Committee to help them conduct a roll call vote, which involves individually counting each delegate vote. If a delegate feels that the chair s determination was in error, they can also call for a roll call vote by saying Division in a loud voice immediately after the chair s determination. A motion for division requires 50 seconds (the chair will ask for those supporting the motion for division to raise their credential), and, if successful, will be followed by a roll call vote. Roll call votes are very time-consuming, so only call for one if you truly believe that the chair s determination was in error. What if something is preventing me from participating in debate (you can t hear, something is making you uncomfortable, etc.)? If the problem is not urgent, join the queue to speak, wait for recognition, and begin by saying I have a question of privilege. Then state the problem. If the problem is urgent, don t wait for recognition from the chair. Say Question of Privilege in a loud voice. The chair will recognize you, ask you to state the problem, and will then attempt to resolve the problem.