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Oregon Senate suspends section-by-section reading for today's third-reading calendar
Summary
The Oregon Senate voted to suspend the constitutional and Senate-rule requirement that bills be read section-by-section on final passage for the day's third-reading calendar after a motion by Sen. Starr; the motion carried on a roll-call showing 23 ayes.
Senate Republican Senator Starr moved to suspend Article IV, Section 19 of the Oregon Constitution and the corresponding Senate rule so the chamber would not be required to read each bill section-by-section during today’s third-reading calendar. The presiding officer put the motion to a roll-call vote and the clerk recorded the responses.
Starr said the motion was intended to allow the third-reading calendar to proceed more efficiently. After the roll call, the chair announced '23 ayes' and declared the motion carried. Senator Gelsterbloom asked that an explanation for the vote be entered in the record and gave brief remarks noting the body's patience during the procedural exchange.
The suspension applies only to today's third-reading calendar; any member will still have the opportunity to address constitutionality or substantive concerns when an individual bill reaches third reading and final passage. The presiding officer had earlier read from Mason's Manual to remind the chamber that rulings on constitutionality are for the Senate as a body to decide when a bill comes to final action.
No individual bill readings or final votes beyond the suspension motion were recorded under this specific motion; the chamber proceeded to business on the day's calendar.
