CHAPTER 6. DECORUM AND DEBATE

Rule 6.1.  Interruption of business prohibited

A. The business of the Senate shall not be interrupted.

B. No person not a member shall be admitted to the Senate Chamber for the purpose of presenting or reading any petition, memorial, or address in open session.

Every member shall confine himself to decorous language in addressing the Senate and shall make no personal or derogatory remark to or about any member.

Rule 6.3.  Call to order for violation of rules; appeal

A. If any member violates the Rules of Order of the Senate, in speech or otherwise, the President shall, and any member may, call him to order. Any member so called to order shall immediately take his seat unless the Senate permits him to explain his actions, upon his motion or that of another member duly adopted.

B. Every question of order shall be decided by the presiding officer, without debate, subject to an appeal to the Senate. When an appeal is taken from the decision of the presiding officer, the decision of the presiding officer shall be overruled only if a majority of the elected members of the Senate vote to overrule his decision. The presiding officer may call for the sense of the Senate on any question of order, but when an appeal has been taken from the decision of the presiding officer, any subsequent question of order which arises before the decision of the appeal by the Senate shall be decided by the presiding officer without debate, and every appeal therefrom also shall be decided at once and without debate.

C. If, after being called to order, a member persists in a breach of decorum, it shall be duty of the President to reprimand the offending member. Upon his motion, or that of another member duly adopted, the member may be permitted to explain his actions. He may appeal the reprimand to the Senate. The appeal shall be decided without debate.

D. If the member refuses to submit to reprimand or continues to be in disorder after reprimand, the President may cause him to be ejected from the Senate for a stated period determined by the President or for such period as may be stated by the Senate upon motion duly adopted. In such case, he shall not again be admitted to the floor during the specified time, except by a vote of the Senate and upon such conditions and terms of apology as it may prescribe.

In case of disturbance or disorderly conduct, the presiding officer may or, at the request of one-third of those present and voting, he shall clear the entire chamber or any part thereof, including the balcony, lobby, or other environs, of any or all persons causing or creating the disturbance. However, this rule shall not apply to any member of the news media, unless it is determined that the media member is causing or creating the disturbance or is guilty of disorderly conduct. Any person, persons, or groups of persons may be readmitted to the Senate Chamber upon approval of the President or a majority of the Senate members present and voting.

A. A member shall not speak until recognized by the President. When any member wishes the floor to speak in debate or otherwise address the Senate in any manner, he shall seek recognition by respectfully addressing himself to "Mr. President." The President may refuse to recognize any member who is not at his desk when he seeks the floor.

B. When presenting a paper, a senator first shall state its import.

When two or more members rise to be recognized at the same time, the President shall name the one who shall be first to speak.

A. No senator shall speak more than twice on any question without permission of the Senate, or be interrupted when speaking, except by a call to order by the President or by a senator through the President. However, the mover of a motion and the introducer of a legislative instrument shall have the privilege of opening the debate thereon and of closing the debate even after the previous question has been ordered.

B. The Senate may at any time, by a majority vote, limit debate so that no senator shall be permitted to speak longer than one hour at one time without permission of the Senate. A motion to that effect shall be in order at any time, taking precedence over every other motion, except a motion to adjourn.

C. When the reading of a paper other than a legislative instrument is called for and the same is objected to by any senator, it shall be determined by a vote of the Senate, without debate.

Except as provided in Rule 11.6.1, while a member is speaking, he shall not be interrupted by another member for a question or for any other purpose except to raise a point of order, a point of information, or to make a motion to limit debate, while a speaker has the floor. A member who had the floor or was entitled to the floor at adjournment, recess, or passage into a new legislative day is entitled to the floor on renewal of debate on the measure.

The purpose of a question is to obtain information and shall not be used to supply information to the Senate. A question shall not contain statements of fact, except as necessary to make the question intelligible, and shall not contain argument.

A. Each member shall remain in his seat while the Senate is in session, except (1) when he rises to seek recognition or (2) when recognized to address the Senate, ask a question, or raise a point of order. However, this rule shall not bar members from conferring in that portion of the Senate floor located behind the rail.

B. Immediately upon asking a question a member shall return to his seat and shall not again speak unless again recognized.

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