STANDING RULES OF ORDER OF THE NORTH CAROLINA STUDENT

LEGISLATURE AS PASSED BY THE OCTOBER INTERIM COUNCIL OF THE 73RD

LEGISLATIVE YEAR, 2009
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These Special Rules of Order shall govern the procedure of all plenary meetings of the
2 NORTH CAROLINA STUDENT LEGISLATURE. These rules may be amended, suspended, or
3 rescinded by a two-thirds vote of the Interim Council or other plenary meeting of the NORTH
4 CAROLINA STUDENT LEGISLATURE.
5 Rule 1. INTERN VOTES. If a vote is taken by roll call, votes cast by interns shall be recorded
6 but may not be used in determining the passage of motions.
7 Rule 2. EXTENDING COURTESIES. Courtesies of the floor and galleries shall be extended
8 only by the presiding officer, or upon the written request of a member, to former members of the
9 NORTH CAROLINA STUDENT LEGISLATURE or to distinguished visitors.
10 Rule 3. LIMITATION OF INDIVIDUAL DEBATE. Subsection 1. No person shall be
11 awarded the floor to speak more than two times per calendar day on each debatable motion, nor
12 shall any person speak more than ten consecutive minutes after properly attaining the floor.
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Subsection 2. No person may yield the floor to any person who has already spoken on the matter
at hand more than two times per calendar day on each debatable motion, nor may a person yield
to make an undebateable motion. No person who has been yielded the floor by a previous
speaker may yield the floor to a further speaker.

17 Rule 4. READING PAPERS. When a request to read papers before the assembly is made and
18 any member objects, the question of permission shall be determined by the assembly without
19 debate.
20 Rule 5. DECORUM. Subsection 1. Decency of speech shall be observed and disrespect to
21 personalities carefully avoided, doing so may cause forfeiture of the floor.
22 Subsection 2. When the presiding officer is putting a question, or a vote is being taken, no
23 person shall walk out of or across the chamber. When a member is speaking, no person shall
24 walk between the speaker and the presiding officer.
25 Subsection 3. When a motion to adjourn or recess is approved, all persons seated in the chamber
26 shall remain so until the adjournment or recess is declared by the presiding officer.
27 Subsection 4. No public office campaign literature shall be allowed on the floor.
28 Subsection 5. The Governor in consultation with the Council of State shall determine the
29 appropriateness of speakers for the NORTH CAROLINA STUDENT LEGISLATURE.
30 Rule 6. DIVISION OF ASSEMBLY. If the call of Division is made during the taking of a
31 vote, the presiding officer shall take a vote on the matter at hand by roll call, a show of hands, or
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32 by standing vote. If at least one-fifth of the members present so demand, the presiding officer
33 must take a vote by roll call.
34 Rule 7. PRESIDING OFFICER TO MAINTAIN ORDER. The presiding officer shall have
35 general discretion of the chambers and shall be authorized, with the consultation of the Attorney
36 General, to take such action as is necessary to maintain order.
37 Rule 8. MOTIONS TO BE WRITTEN. All motions shall be submitted in writing at the
38 request of the presiding officer. Resolutions and other main motions shall be introduced by
39 submitting a number of typed copies determined by the Secretary of State.
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Rule 9. VOTING. No member may vote unless he or she is in the chamber and seated. This
requirement to be seated is automatically suspended in secret ballot and rising votes and shall not
apply to the presiding officer or any sergeant-at-arms. In the case of any vote the doors to the
chamber shall be barred when the question is put and shall remain barred until the vote is final
and has been announced.

45 Rule 10. STANDING TO SPEAK. All persons capable of doing so shall stand while
46 addressing the presiding officer, a speaker, or the assembly. No person shall be required to speak
47 from the front of the room.
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Rule 11. AMENDMENTS. One copy of all amendments to written motions shall be submitted
to the Secretary of State prior to their consideration. A member offering an amendment to a
written motion shall properly attain the floor and state that he or she wishes to move the
amendment at the desk. Upon this announcement, the Secretary of State shall read the
amendment to the assembly and the amendment shall be considered moved.

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Rule 12. PREVIOUS QUESTION. Subsection 1. Previous question is a vote to vote. It

requires a three-fourths vote for passage. In order to move the previous question, the delegate
must first be recognize by the presiding officer. Previous question does not need a second, but
consent can be called. Consent can be objected to. Previous question can be called regardless if
question is or is not called before because question is always assumed.

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Subsection 2. Since question is always assumed, in order to call question the delegate does not
have to be recognized but may not interrupt anyone who is already speaking. However question
must be seconded. If there are any objections to question, the motion fails.

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Rule 14. QUERIES. A query is called by point of information and may be used only to gain
information not already within the knowledge of the inquirer. The time consumed in making a
query shall not reduce the time granted for the current speaker. The delegate calling point of
information does not need to be recognized and can interrupt the speaker. Anyone abusing this
rule can be barred from further debate.

Rule 13. RECOGNITION. In order to be recognized by the presiding officer, a person must be
seated.

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Rule 15. POINTS OF ORDER. A point of order can be called only to clarify or correct
proceedings. The presiding officer, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall decide all
points of order, subject to an appeal to the assembly by any member. The time consumed in
making a point of order shall not reduce the time granted for the current speaker. If a motion is
made and seconded to appeal the decision of the presiding officer, the presiding officer shall
immediately relinquish the chair. If the appeal is debatable, there shall be only four speeches
lasting no longer than five minutes each, alternating for appealing and sustaining the decision.
The maker of the motion to appeal from the decision of the presiding officer shall be allowed the
first speech and the presiding officer shall be allowed the last speech. The delegate calling point
of order does not need to be recognized and can interrupt the speaker. Anyone abusing this rule
can be barred from further debate.

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Rule 16. ELECTIONS. All elections shall be by secret ballot. If no candidate receives a clear
majority of the votes cast, the two candidates receiving the most votes shall be announced and a
secret ballot vote shall be taken again. No candidate shall be removed from the ballot except by
that candidates own request.

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Rule 17. ATTENDANCE. Subsection 1. Any member of the Council of State or the Board of
Directors who is absent from a regular meeting once per legislative year without a qualified
replacement can be impeached and removed from office or absent from a regular meeting three
times per legislative year with a qualified replacement can be impeached and removed from
office. With the exception of the Governor whose replacement is the Lieutenant Governor.

89 Subsection 2. A qualified replacement shall be defined as an assistant. An assistant shall be

90 defined as someone who is officially recognized with a previous majority approval of the Interim
91 Council as the assistant to the officer.
92 Rule 18. AMENDMENTS TO THE STANDING RULES. The Standing Rules of the North
93 Carolina Student Legislature may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the body of Interim
94 Council or Plenary Session.