House opens with prayer; Representative Clark's motion to 'saunter' is approved by voice vote

The legislative session began with an opening prayer offered by Representative Kaye McKiff and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Julie McKiff Barney. After the ceremonial observances, Representative Clark moved a brief procedural action that was recorded in the transcript as "I make a motion that we saunter."

The presiding officer restated the motion—at one point saying "Motion is that we saunter until told otherwise by the speaker"—and called for a voice vote, asking, "All those in favor, say aye." When opposing voices were heard, the presiding officer said, "I'll rule that motion passes," and later stated, "The house is sauntering." The transcript also includes a garbled or unclear rendering of the motion as "dishonor for 20 minutes" in subsequent lines. The record does not identify a seconder or provide a numerical roll-call; only the voice votes (ayes and noes) are audible in the transcript.

The motion and vote were procedural: the chamber moved to enact a short, member-initiated pause in business as recorded. There were no policy actions, ordinances, or committee directives attached to the motion in the available transcript.

Representative Kaye McKiff's prayer invoked gratitude for the state and nation and closed, "These favors and blessings, we humbly pray for in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." Julie McKiff Barney led members in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The most recent procedural development recorded in the transcript is the presiding officer's ruling that the motion passed and the chamber entering the brief pause described in the record as "sauntering." The transcript does not record subsequent business, a formal recess order, or an exact elapsed time for the pause beyond the language quoted above.