To Ask, Debate or Explain

In debating a bill on the floor of the Senate we have a few options for speaking or making a point in opposition or support of the bill.

1. You can ask a question (usually of the sponsor.) To do that you ask of the Lt. Governor, Brad Little (or of the Pro Tem if he is in the chair running session), "Mr. President, will the good Sponsor yield to a question?" The Sponsor can choose to yield and answer the question, or not. On Monday Senator Kelly chose not to yield to Senator Davis. That is the first time I've seen that in the Senate. With Bart Davis it may be wise not to yield because if he gets that look in his eyes, he may be up to mischief and the result may be that he makes you look silly.

2. You can ask the President permission to debate the bill. "Mr. President to debate against the bill." That in the Senate is far less common than in the House. Frequently if someone here has a problem with a bill they ask questions, or if they are powerful, and the sponsor is reasonably powerful, we go at ease to work something out. Otherwise if the body is divided and nothing can be worked out by sending the legislation to the amending order, and going at ease can no better determine the fate of the legislation, then we proceed, debating to persuade our colleagues to make yes or no votes to the best of our abilities.

3. In the Senate, if you did not debate a bill, you can explain your vote. This is a 60 second chance to debate yes or no, right in the middle of the verbal roll call for the vote itself. It can be a useful persuasion technique if your name is somewhere in the first part of the alphabet or if there are many people who have passed or declined to vote in the roll call, giving themselves more time to make up their minds or just passing to wait and see how others will vote.

Comments

[danielo]

Senator, you rock. Thanks for having this blog.

What does it mean to "go at ease to work something out?"

[Nicole LeFavour]

Sorry! The president bangs the gavel and Senators huddle and debate off microphone. They decide to hold the bill to get answers, craft amendments, save face for someone who has made an error etc...
If you watch on line at http://www.idahoptv.org/leglive/ you will hear Bart Davis, Republican Majority Leader, say (very quickly) "Mr. President, I request unanimous consent that the Senate go at ease pending call of the chair." Brad Little as Lt. Governor/President of the Senate will bang the gavel and we all move around or sit and work on our computers answering our mountains of e-mail for awhile. Then Brad bangs the gavel again and we go back to presenting, debating and passing or killing bills!

[Anon.]

Thank you, Senator, and especially for posts like these. Please more simple explanations of legislative proceedings!