[Lnc-business] Roll call votes during the lNC meeting and thoughts on "dilatory" and "improper"

[Geoffrey Neale]

I believe we had a request for a roll call vote on a unanimous vote at the
last LNC meeting.  At face value, I think a motion for roll call vote on a
unanimous motion could easily be deemed as dilatory by the Chair.

 

>From the dummies.com site regarding the same, I offer:

Dilatory motions include motions that are

.         Misused with the purpose of obstructing business (such as a series
of points of order and appeals, motions to table, or motions to adjourn
offered every time a little discussion has passed by a few members who don't
like the way things are going)

.         Absurd in substance

.         Frivolous, especially amendments

.         Unwarranted (such as calling "division" when the result is clear)

 

Now it seems to me that I could easily declare that a call for a roll call
vote on a unanimous vote is dilatory, except that the Bylaws state:

 

"The National Committee shall use roll call voting on all substantive
motions. Additionally, the National committee must have a roll call vote
upon request of any single Committee member present on any motion. On all
roll call votes, the vote of each individual Committee member shall be
recorded in the minutes."

 

The Bylaws allow for roll call votes for any reason on any vote, including
on purely procedural things like a motion to extend time, or a motion to
recess.  I believe I am bound by the fact that the Bylaws do not grant me
any authority to use reason in order to maintain a productive flow of the
meeting.  As such, I will deem any roll call vote to be in order.  I have
been asked if it would be acceptable to record only the individual(s) who
voted against a motion, but I find that to do this would be in violation of
the letter of the Bylaws, even if the past delegates never really intended
this to apply to even such minor details as whether to order Chinese or
pizza for a working lunch.  I will leave this issue to future Bylaws
Committee's and Conventions.

 

However, specificity of what is to be included in the minutes is extremely
discretionary.  The minutes serve as a record of the business of the LNC.
They are not transcripts.  We are faced with the absolute fact that it
serves no purpose or value to record how members voted on what's for lunch,
yet we are compelled to do so by our Bylaws, if a single member requests it.
If requested, I will order that the minutes record the vote.  Every time
this is invoked, it will take several minutes to conduct and record.  I will
reserve the privilege as Chair to record that I find the roll call vote to
be dilatory, to record who requested it, and to include how much time was
wasted on the dilatory motion, so our members can clearly identify who is
just plain wasting the time of the LNC, so that  when we are asked by those
we serve why we get so little done, they will have evidence of who the
negative reaction's should be targeted at.

 

On any other motion, I reserve to right to declare motions to be dilatory,
if I feel the intent is obstruction.

 

Under Robert's I also have the authority to rule motions to be "improper".
>From the same website, improper motions:

.         Are inconsistent with the organization's charter, bylaws, or
procedural laws

.         Conflict with an adopted motion that hasn't been rescinded

.         Present essentially the same question that has been defeated
earlier in the same meeting

.         Present a question that the membership still has within its reach
(as it has when something has been postponed or referred to a committee, or
is the object of a motion to reconsider)

.         Are outside the scope of the purpose of the organization (unless
the motion is agreed to be considered by a two-thirds vote)

 

In short, please don't waste our time just because you have the "right" to
do so.  It will absolutely incline everyone else to ignore everything you
say.  Some people on the LNC are already there, anyway.

 

Geoffrey Neale

Chair

Libertarian Party

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