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"By Roberts rules couldn?t the President of the Senate... just gavel the session to order, take a voice vote, declare the measure passed and slam the gavel?"

An emailer asks (with respect to the impasse in the Wisconsin legislature, with all the Democratic senators fleeing the state)...

With no Dem I the room to ask for a quorum call and no Aye and Nays there is nothing but the chairs opinion to pass this.

Dirty pool, but as I remember my rules of order, completely within the rules of order.

The reason for the quorum requirement is to insure for minority participation... When one group purposely decides not to take part, I have no real problem with using parliamentary process to get things done.

I also thought that this afternoon once the media had the Dems in sight, that the Rs should have taken 16 or 17 to Rockford, found one of the Dems in the parking lot on his phone, gaveled the session back in order and taken the vote on the spot.  Is there a location requirement in the State Const?

I'm no expert on parliamentary procedure, so... discuss!

Full post as published by Althouse on February 18, 2011 (boomark / email).