Chapter 6: Subsidiary Motions - 17. Lay on the Table

The motion to Lay on the Table enables an assembly to lay a pending question aside...

• temporarily when something else of immediate urgency has arisen

• to consider any motion decided upon by the chairman

• so that the assembly may conduct a standing vote

• so that it can be brought up as a general order at the next meeting

The motion to Lay on the Table...

• can be debated if the chairman allows the maker of the motion to speak first

• kills the motion and avoids a direct vote on it

• can be amended

• sets the pending question aside temporarily and there is no set time for taking up the matter again

The motion to Lay on the Table is commonly misused in meetings in the place of the motion to...

• Adjourn

• Postpone to a Certain Time

• Reconsider

• Commit (or Refer)

If a member proposed the motion to Lay on the Table and specifies a time for resuming consideration, what would you do as chairman?

• ask for a second and conduct a vote on it

• handle it as two separate motions

• suggest that the maker of the motion submit it as a Motion to Postpone

• rule the motion out of order

A subsidiary motion to Lay on the Table takes precedence over...

• the motion to Fix the Time to Which to Adjourn

• all privileged motions

• all other subsidiary motions

• the motion to adjourn

The motion to Lay on the Table is a motion that can be...

• debated and amended

• applied to the motion to Limit Debate

• made when the Previous Question has been made

• applied to a pending amendment

If a main motion and a primary amendment are pending, and a motion to lay on the table is adopted, the amendment itself...

• can be brought up by any member as a new motion

• becomes the immediately pending question

• dies and is taken up under unfinished business at the next regular meeting

• adheres to the main motion and goes to the table with it

Which one of the following subsidiary motions can be applied to the motion Lay on the Table?

• Postpone Indefinitely

• Refer to a Committee

• Previous Question

• None of the above. No subsidiary motion can be applied to the motion to Lay on the Table

The motion to Lay on the Table is out of order when...

• both a main motion and an amendment are pending

• another member has the floor

• a motion has been adopted to extend the limits of debate

• there is another subsidiary motion pending

Which statement below is TRUE regarding the subsidiary motion to Lay on the Table?

• a second is not needed

• the maker of the motion may state the reason prior to proposing the motion

• all amendments to the motion must pass by a majority vote

• the chair should not ask the maker of the motion to state the reason first