Parliamentary Procedure Q&A

Q: Robert's Rules of Order regarding business meeting where 1999-2000 budget was approved. A minority committee of the finance committee brought to the floor of the church-wide business meeting a motion to include a new budget line item that could not be passed in the committee meeting. On the floor of the business meeting the motion was passed and the item was included.

It is the intention of the majority of the finance committee to make a motion at the next monthly business meeting to remove that item from the budget. Is their motion out of order? What is the correct procedure? Certainly this should not be brought to the floor every month. - Dr. Daryl L. Varble, Oct. 11, 1999

A: The motion is in order. The Finance Committee would move to Amend Something Previously Adopted, i.e., the budget. (See RONR Section 34.) The procedure would be something like:

  1. Member, after gaining recognition: "On behalf of the Finance Committee, I move to amend the budget adopted at the September meeting, by striking out the line item for ...."
  2. Because the motion comes from a committee, no second is required.
  3. The Chair states the question to the assembly. "It is moved that the budget adopted at the September meeting be amended by striking out the line item for .... Is there discussion?"
  4. The Chair conducts any debate.
  5. The Chair states the question again prior to taking the vote.
  6. The Chair takes the vote. "As many as are in favor of the amendment, please rise. Thank you. Be seated. As many as are opposed to the amendment, please rise. Thank you. Be seated."
  7. The Chair announces the result. If there are at least twice as many in favor as opposed: "There being two thirds in the affirmative, the amendment is adopted. The line item is dropped from the budget."
    If not: "There being fewer than two thirds in the affirmative, the amendment fails. The line item remains in the budget."

Note that the necessity for a two-thirds vote only occurs when no previous notice of the motion to amend has been given, and a majority of the entire membership is opposed or not voting. The actual vote required is:

After the issue is decided, it may not be renewed until the next session. (There are exceptions to this rule, but only if further information is obtained that makes it likely the decision should be reconsidered. See RONR Section 36, Reconsider.) The minority could not immediately move to amend the budget to add the line item back in. They would have to wait until the next session (which I gather is the following month). See RONR Section 37, Renewal of Motions.

Technically, the motion could be renewed at every meeting. But because of the difficulties of it becoming adopted (including the political ramifications of being seen as obstinate), it seldom is attempted more than once.

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