Senate suspends rules to advance House 4245 on select board; orders bill to third reading

The Senate voted during its session to suspend Senate Rule 36 and Joint Rule 12 so several petitions could be considered immediately, and it ordered House 4245, described in the proceedings as an "act relative to the select board," to a third reading.

The committee on rules reported that it recommended suspension of Joint Rule 12 in each instance to allow the petitions to be considered forthwith. Following the committee report, Senator Dooner, the senator from the Third Bristol and Plymouth district, proposed suspending applicable rules; the presiding officer then called for voice votes and declared, "The ayes have it," as the suspensions carried.

After the rule suspensions, the chair stated that the specific matter would be referred to its committee and that House 4245 would be taken out of the orders of the day and ordered to a third reading. A voice vote again resulted in the presiding officer declaring, "The ayes have it," and the bill was ordered to a third reading.

Senator Dooner offered an order that, when the Senate adjourned, it would reconvene on Monday at 11:00 a.m., and that the clerk be directed to dispense with the printing of a calendar. That order was adopted after the presiding officer called for a vote. The session then adjourned to meet again on Monday at 11:00 a.m.

No roll-call vote totals, amendments to the motions, or substantive debate on the content of House 4245 were recorded in the provided transcript. The transcript identifies the bill only as "House 4245" and refers to it as an act concerning the select board; further details about the bill's provisions were not specified.