[Note:] This may have been a parliamentary inquiry, not a point of order.
Assembly Rule 15 (3) Once a motion to withdraw a proposal from a committee which requires a vote of a majority of the members present and voting fails, all subsequent motions to withdraw that proposal from the same committee require a vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting for adoption and must be decided without debate.
Assembly Journal of April 7, 1995 .......... Page: 224
Point of order:
Representative Freese rose to the point of order that the motion to withdraw Assembly Bill 73 from the Joint Committee on Finance was not in order under Section 16.47(2) of the Wisconsin Statutes.
Speaker Prosser took the point of order under advisement.
Assembly Journal of April 8, 1995 .......... Page: 233
Ruling on the point of order:
Speaker Prosser ruled not well taken the point of order raised by Representative Freese on Friday, April 7 that the motion to withdraw Assembly Bill 73 from the Joint Committee on Finance was not in order under Section16.47(2) of the Wisconsin Statutes and Assembly Rule 15(1)(b). The motion made by Representative Schneider to withdraw the bill from committee included a request for suspension of the rules and therefore was in order.
[Note:] Assembly Rule 15 (1) A proposal may not be withdrawn from any committee until 21 calendar days have expired since the proposal was referred to the committee. After the 21-day period, a proposal may be withdrawn either by motion or by petition, but:
(b) A bill requiring, but not having, an emergency statement for passage may not be withdrawn from the joint committee on finance or from the committee on rules.
16.47(2) No bill containing an appropriation or increasing the cost of state government or decreasing state revenues in an annual amount exceeding $10,000 shall be passed by either house until the budget bill has passed both houses; except that the governor or the joint committee on finance may recommend such bills to the presiding officer of either house, in writing, for passage and the legislature may enact them, and except that the senate or assembly committee on organization may recommend to the presiding officer of its respective house any such bill not affecting state finances by more than $100,000 biennially. Such bills shall be accompanied by a statement to the effect that they are emergency bills recommended by the governor, the joint committee on finance, or the senate or assembly committee on organization. Such statement by the governor or joint committee on finance shall be sufficient to permit passage prior to the budget bill. Such statement by the senate or assembly committee on organization shall be effective only to permit passage by its respective house.
Assembly Journal of May 9, 1996 .......... Page: 1145
Point of order:
Representative Brancel rose to the point of order that Assembly amendment 2 to Assembly Joint Resolution 102 was not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f).
Ruling on the point of order:
Speaker pro tempore Freese ruled the point of order well taken.
Representative Carpenter appealed the ruling of the Chair.
Representative Carpenter withdrew his motion.
Representative Jensen asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Senate Bill 536 be withdrawn from the joint committee on Finance and placed on the calendar of Monday, May 13. Granted.
[Note:] The joint resolution placed on the ballot an advisory referendum asking whether the state should continue to provide property tax relief by paying two-thirds of the costs of local school costs without raising sales or income taxes. The amendment substituted "increasing state taxes" for "raising sales or income taxes".
Assembly Rule 54 (3) Assembly amendments that are not germane include:
(f) An amendment that substantially expands the scope of the proposal.
Withdrawal motion (from committee)
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Assembly Journal of January 30, 2003 .......... Page: 40
Parliamentary inquiry:
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese ruled on a parliamentary inquiry made by Representative Miller on Tuesday, January 28.
Answer to parliamentary inquiry:
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese ruled as follows: "On Tuesday of this week Representative Miller regarding the rules and statutes that govern this Assembly made a parliamentary inquiry. I have given this much thought since I have ruled on this issue before. I think it is important to recognize that under Article IV, section 8, of the Wisconsin Constitution, the assembly is the sole and absolute decision maker on Assembly proceedings that are not set out in the Wisconsin or federal constitution. It is within the Assembly's power under Article IV, section 8, of the constitution, to permit or refuse to permit the suspension or modification of a rule of proceedings set forth in the statutes just as it can of a rule of proceedings set forth in the rules pamphlet.
In Mason's manual section 2 refers to the right to regulate procedure. The Constitutional right of a state legislature to control its own procedure cannot be withdrawn or restricted by statute, but statutes may control procedure insofar as they do not conflict with the rules of the houses or with the rules contained in the constitution. Section 3 states that the State Constitution is a limitation rather than a grant of legislative power. If not expressly or implicitly withheld, the whole legislative power of the state is committed to the legislature.
It appears that the updating of legislative proceedings in the statutes have not kept up to the updating of legislative proceedings in the rules pamphlets. The statutes appear to reflect an earlier view of the powers that are to be exercised by the assembly officers.
On January 15, 1998 I had to rule on a point of order whether the motion to withdraw Assembly Bill 421 from the joint survey committee on Retirement Systems was not in order. Section 13.50 (6) was created in 1963 as Chapter 153, laws of 1963 as 13.44 (9) with the exact wording as it appears today. In 1977, through Assembly Resolution 6, Assembly rule 26 was first created which is our current rule 15 (1). I ruled that when the Statute and the rule are the same that we could suspend the rule but not the statute. If the rule and constitution were the same but the statute was different, the constitution and rule would be the precedent. If the rule and the statute were not the same, it would require a point of order to clarify which one has precedent at the time on an individual basis."
[Note:] Article IV, 7 Organization of legislature; quorum; compulsory attendance. Section 7. Each house shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members; and a majority of each shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as each house may provide.
Assembly Journal of November 13, 2003 .......... Page: 543
Point of order:
Representative Gard rose to the point of order that the motion to withdraw Assembly Bill 622 from the committee on Labor was not in order at this time.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese took the point of order under advisement.
[Note:] No ruling.
Assembly Rule 15. Withdrawing a proposal from committee.
(1) A proposal may not be withdrawn from any committee until 21 calendar days have expired since the proposal was referred to the committee. After the 21-day period, a proposal may be withdrawn either by motion or by petition, but:
(2) The motion to withdraw a proposal from committee is in order only on the first day in any week on which the call of the roll is taken under the first order of business. The motions shall be decided by vote of a majority of the members present and voting.
Assembly Journal of January 27, 2004 .......... Page: 645
Point of order:
Representative Kreuser asked unanimous consent that the rules be suspended and that Senate Bill 214 be withdrawn from today's calendar and taken up at this time.
Representative Foti objected.
Representative Kreuser moved that the rules be suspended and that Senate Bill 214 be withdrawn from today's calendar and taken up at this time.
Representative Gard rose to the point of order that the motion to suspend the rules to withdraw Senate Bill 214 from today's calendar was not in order.
Assembly Journal of January 27, 2004 .......... Page: 646
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese took under advisement the point of order that was raised by Representative Gard that the motion to suspend rules and take up Senate Bill 214 from today's calendar was not in order.
Assembly Journal of February 3, 2004 .......... Page: 663
Representative Foti withdrew the point of order raised on Tuesday, January 27, that a motion to suspend the rules to take up Senate Bill 214 was not in order.
[Note:] The bill, carrying or going armed with a concealed weapon, was vetoed by the governor, and the senate, but not the assembly, overrode the veto.
2 0 0 3 S E N A T E
Senate Journal of November 11, 2003 .......... Page: 477
Point of order:
Senator Chvala moved to suspend rules to withdraw from committee on Labor, Small Business Development and Consumer Affairs and take up Senate Bill 240.
Senator Panzer raised the point of order that the motion to withdraw from committee on Labor, Small Business Development and Consumer Affairs Senate Bill 240 was not properly before the Senate.
Ruling on the point of order:
The Chair ruled the point of order well taken.
Senator Erpenbach appealed the ruling of the Chair.
The question was: Shall the Decision of the chair stand as the judgement of the Senate?
The roll was taken. The vote was: Ayes-18, Noes-14. Decision of the Chair stands as the judgement of the Senate.
[Note:] Senate Rule 17 (1) (n) Fourteenth order. Motions may be offered.
Senate Rule 41 (1) (a) A proposal or other matter may be rereferred at any time prior to its passage, except that a motion to withdraw from committee may not take effect during the 7 days preceding any scheduled committee hearing or the 7 days following the date on which a committee hearing is held.
The motion to withdraw is not listed as in order during debate:
Senate 63. Motions in order during debate.
(1) When a question is under debate, a motion may not be received except:
Senate Journal of November 11, 2003 .......... Page: 477
Point of order:
Senator Erpenbach moved to make Senate Bill 240 a special order of business at 9:00 A.M. on the calendar of November 13, 2003.
Senator Panzer raised the point of order that the motion to make a special order of business is not proper at this time.
The Chair took the point under advisement.
Senate Journal of January 20, 2004 .......... Page: 550
Ruling on the point of order:
On Tuesday, November 11, 2003, on the 11th order of business, the Senator from the 27th moved that the rules be suspended and Senate Bill 240 be made a special order of business at 10:00 AM on the calendar of November 13, 2003.
The Senator from the 20th raised a point of order that the motion was out of order.
The Chair took the point of order under advisement.
The point is well taken. The Senate has established a clear precedent that motions concerning business that is not currently before the Senate are made under the 14th order of business.
[Note:] Senate Rule 17 (1) (n) Fourteenth order. Motions may be offered.
Senate Rule 41 (1) (a) A proposal or other matter may be rereferred at any time prior to its passage, except that a motion to withdraw from committee may not take effect during the 7 days preceding any scheduled committee hearing or the 7 days following the date on which a committee hearing is held.
The motion for a special order is not listed as in order during debate:
Senate 63. Motions in order during debate.
(1) When a question is under debate, a motion may not be received except:
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Assembly Journal of March 13, 2001 .......... Page: 144
Point of order:
Representative Freese rose to the point of order that the motion to withdraw Senate Bill 1 from committee was not in order while a previous point of order on the bill was under advisement.
Speaker Jensen took the point of order under advisement.
Assembly Journal of March 22, 2001 .......... Page: 167
Representative Freese withdrew his point of order raised on Tuesday, March 13, that the motion to withdraw Senate Bill 1 from committee was not in order while a previous point of order was already under advisement.
[Note:] Assembly Rule 62 (3) The presiding officer may speak on points of order in preference to others and may:
(a) Immediately announce and explain a ruling on a point of order that has been raised; or
(b) Defer such ruling by taking a point of order under advisement.
1. When the point of order concerns a proposal or a question currently pending on such proposal, taking the point of order under advisement removes the proposal from further consideration until the presiding officer announces the ruling on the point of order.
Assembly Journal of October 25, 2001 .......... Page: 474
Point of order:
Representative Jensen rose to the point of order that the motion to withdraw Assembly Bill 57 from the joint survey committee on Tax Exemptions was not properly before the Assembly under s. 13.52 of the Wisconsin Statutes.
Representative Duff took the point of order under advisement.
Assembly Journal of October 25, 2001 .......... Page: 474
Ruling on the point of order:
The Chair (Representative Duff) ruled the point of order well taken that a motion to withdraw Assembly Bill 57 from the joint survey committee on Tax Exemptions was not properly before the Assembly under s. 13.52 of the Wisconsin Statutes.
[Note:] 13.52(6) provides "such proposal shall not be considered further by either house until the joint survey committee on tax exemptions has submitted a report, in writing, setting forth an opinion on the legality of the proposal, the fiscal effect upon the state and its subdivisions and its desirability as a matter of public policy and such report has been printed as an appendix to the bill and attached thereto as are amendments". The report had not been prepared.
The motion was also in violation of Assembly Rule 15 (1) (a):
Assembly Rule 15 (1) A proposal may not be withdrawn from any committee until 21 calendar days have expired since the proposal was referred to the committee. After the 21-day period, a proposal may be withdrawn either by motion or by petition, but:
(a) A bill may not be withdrawn from a joint survey committee.
Assembly Journal of October 30, 2001 .......... Page: 483
Point of order:
Representative Staskunas rose to the point of order that the motion to amend the motion that the rules be suspended and that Assembly Bill 294 be withdrawn from the committee on Labor and Workforce Development be amended to substitute Assembly Bill 545 was not in order under Assembly Rule 15.
Speaker Pro Tempore Freese took the point of order under advisement.
Representative Staskunas withdrew the point of order that the motion to amend a motion to suspend the rules and that Assembly Bill 294 be withdrawn from the committee on Labor and Workforce Development was not in order.
