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everything down to and including line 41
and insert in lieu thereof the following:
''No vote on final passage of a bill
shall be taken until the bill and all
amendments thereto shall bo in writing.
Except during the first four days of a
special session, or except upon the af-
firmative vote of three-fifths of all the
members of the house in which suspen-
sion is requested, no vote on final passage
of a bill shall be taken until the fifth
calendar day after its introduction in the
house of origin and until the second cal-
endar day after it roaches the second
house."
THE CHAIRMAN: The amendment hav-
ing been seconded by Delegate Bennett, the
Chair recognizes Delegate Gallagher.
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: Mr. Chair-
man and ladies and gentlemen, I believe
Amendment No. 27 overcomes the difficul-
ties we discussed when we were on Amend-
ment No. 22 and also incorporates the ear-
lier change we made this morning, which
requires that the bill and all amendments
thereto shall be in writing. This provides
now that at both regular and special ses-
sions of the General Assembly that no vote
on final passage shall be taken until the
bill and all amendments thereto shall be
in writing. Then the next section beginning on line 8 provides that except for the first
four days of a special session which means
that therefore a special session can act in
one, two, three, or four days if it so de-
sires, that it is required that a bill be held
before a final vote for four days in the
house of origin and at least two days in
the second house. However, both of these
requirements of four days and two days
can be suspended by an affirmative vote of
three-fifths of all the members. I do be-
lieve that this accomplishes what we were
seeking to do earlier and I urge its passage.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are there any ques-
tions of the sponsor of the amendment?
(There was no response.)
Are you ready for the question?
Is there any discussion? Delegate Bur-
dette?
DELEGATE BURDETTE: What is the
meaning of the word "suspension" as used.
THE CHAIRMAN: Where? Line 12?
DELEGATE BURDETTE: Correct.
What is to be suspended.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gallagher.
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DELEGATE GALLAGHER: The consti-
tutional requirement that no vote be taken
on the final passage of the bill until the
fifth calendar day after its introduction in
the house of origin and the second calendar
day after the second house.
DELEGATE BURDETTE: Thank you.
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: You are
welcome.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are there any fur-
ther questions?
Delegate Marion?
DELEGATE MARION: I have a ques-
tion of Delegate Gallagher.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Gallagher.
DELEGATE MARION: Does the excep-
tion relating to the first four days of a
special session refer later in the amend-
ment to the vote on final passage of a bill
or the introduction of a bill?
Delegate Gallagher.
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: Well, the
exception applies first of all to any four
days of the special session, and then the
exception with respect to the affirmative
vote of three-fifths of all the members of
the house talks about the final passage. No
vote on the final passage of the bill shall
be taken until the fifth calendar day after
its introduction and the second calendar
day after it reaches the second house.
THE CHAIRMAN: The answer to the
question I would take is that both excep-
tions apply to both operative clauses; is
that correct?
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: Correct,
sir.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does that answer
your question, Delegate Marion?
DELEGATE MARION: I am not sure.
May I pose it in the form of a specific in-
stance? Suppose a bill is introduced on a
third day of a special session —
THE CHAIRMAN: Complete your
question.
DELEGATE MARION: Suppose a bill is
introduced on the fourth clay of a special
session, can it be enacted immediately or
must it wait for five days after its in-
troduction?
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: No, you
can move it right through, both the house
and senate or senate and house, as the case
may be.
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