Jan 28
Day Two – Tuesday, January 27, 2009
2009 at 2:54 pm | posted by Rep. Craig Frank 2 comments
Today we started on the “Big Board.” The big board, or House Calendar, is the jumbo LCD screen on either side of the front wall in the House Chamber. Electronically partitioned into five sections, this calendar is the “que” for House business.
Everything is done in order.
Bills are “passed out” of the House Rules Committee, approved by the body (by motion), and placed on the Third Reading Calendar (right side). Bills are then presented by the House Sponsor starting at the top of the list and proceeding to the bottom of the list. Bills at the top of the Third reading Calendar, which are “suspended,” are placed on hold by a motion to “Circle.”
Senate bills that come to the House are placed on the House Senate Calendar (center of board). Bills on this calendar are considered from top to bottom. Bills that come from the Senate are presented on the House Floor by the House Sponsor, so, bills that originate in the Senate may only be presented by an elected House member.
Next to the House Senate Calendar is the Concurrence Calendar (top, left side). This calendar is provided for bill that have Senate changes from their original debated/passed form in the House. The House votes to approve the Senate changes (concur) or to disapprove (not concur) with Senate changes (amendments).
Just below the Concur Calendar is the Consent Calendar. Bills under consent are “simple” non-controversial issues. Non-contested consent bills are presented by the sponsor and then voted…up or down…no debate. Bills on this calendar sit for 72 hours before they are considered.
On the bottom right side is the Time Certain Calendar. Bills on this calendar will be heard and debated at a specific date and time. Bills here are issues, normally, with special interest. This allows members of the body to plan to be on the House Floor during the time of debate.
The public can access the House Calendar by clicking HERE. (Format varies for explanation above)
2 Responses to “Day Two – Tuesday, January 27, 2009”
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March 12th, 2009 at 12:04 am
Representative Frank,
I had never know I could see the actual calendars online before this post. I found them EXTREMELY interesting and helpful. Thank you for the information.
I have a few questions, but they can certainly wait until after the session ends.
1. What do the different colors mean? It wasn’t a simple stop/go because I saw legislators debating bills written in red, yellow, green, gray, and possibly some other color.
2. Do bills ever come up for debate from somewhere else besides the 3rd Reading, Consent, Concurrence, or Senate Bills calendars? Once or twice during the session, I couldn’t find the bill up for debate.
3. What does it mean when the House or Senate is “sauntering?” I picture guys in suits jauntily strolling along the halls of the capitol wearing straw hats and sipping from glasses of lemonade.
Thanks,
UtahTeacher
March 12th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Doh. “I had never known”