P.O. Procedures & Motions JHHS

Presiding Officer (PO)

The PO decides on who gives speeches, who asks questions, and controls other aspects of the chamber. Besides the judges, the PO is the most important person in the room.

Open Chamber

Opponents can exit the room in between speeches, but not during.

Cumulative Precedence

When PO is choosing amongst potential speakers who have not yet delivered a speech in the session, they must choose the debater who has given the fewest speeches cumulatively throughout the tournament. (NOTE: This requires all PO’s to keep a running tally of each debater’s total number of speeches throughout the day).

Rule is only for deciding who gives a first speech.

What do I ask the judges as a PO?

Ask if you can use your phone to time speeches

Ask if they would like to say anything special

Ask if they would like you to say speech times out loud

Ask if they allow same side questioning

Gaveling Procedure (+1:00 for authorship)

1 gavel at 2:00

2 gavels at 2:30

3 gavels at 3:00

5 second grace period before gaveling down

Voting

1- Raise Hand, Count

2- All in Favor, Count

3- All Against, Count

4- Tell whether bill fails or passes

** To pass must have one more than half of people on seating chart

How many presiding officers?

3 PO’s, one each session

Do I give a speech as a PO?

PO will give a 30 second speech ( has to be creative & unique or no one is voting you )

Which sessions am I a PO for?

PO with highest votes gets to pick any session, 2nd highest votes picks between 2 sessions, third highest votes is stuck with the session that has not been picked

Different Types of Speeches

Authorship- 4 mins which can only been given by person who wrote the bill

Sponsorship Speech- given if there is no authorship

Pro or Con Speech- 3 mins long, 2 mins of questioning (after sponsorship do con)

How do I call on questioners?

“Thank you representative for that speech of ____ minutes in affirmation/con, we are now in line for two minutes of questioning; questioners please rise.”

Tips

Stay calm, if you make a mistake, apologize and move on

Use motions sheet

Be firm, don’t let the chamber take advantage of you

Be nice to everyone

Write on board- Session Start/End, Bill Start/End, Majority

Motion

When one of the representatives in your chamber asks for something to happen.

Previous Question

2/3 Majority of those on seating chart

During debate on a bill or at the end of debate on a bill

You stop debate on a bill and you call for a vote to see whether the bill passes or fails

Table

Simple Majority (one more than half of those on seating chart)

During debate on a bill

You stop debate on a bill and move onto the next. Unlike previous questioning, if you table a bill, you can untable it later in the session and debate on it again

Untable

Simple Majority (one more than half of those on seating chart)

Can ONLY be passed if the bill has been tabled

You untable a bill that has been tabled and continue debate on the untabled bill.

Recess

Simple Majority (one more than half of those on seating chart)

After debate on bill has ended or after the end of session #1 or 2

There is a break for a certain time depending on how long it was requested for

Adjourn

Simple Majority (one more than half of those on seating chart)

At the end of the 3rd session

Everyone leaves

Dilatory

Not acceptable

Ex: someone wants a 10 min recess while recess is somewhere between 2-5 minutes. Say “I rule that motion dilatory”

Point of inquiry

Something a representative will say right before they ask you a question on something they are confused about.