Senate Bill sb0092

    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SJR 92

    By Senators Meek, Campbell, Dawson, Dyer, Jones, Klein and
    Mitchell




    36-128-01

  1                 Senate Joint Resolution No. ____

  2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to

  3         Section 4 of Article III of the State

  4         Constitution, relating to quorum and procedure,

  5         to require that open meetings rules apply to

  6         meetings between the Governor and the

  7         President-Designate of the Senate or the

  8         Speaker-Designate of the House of

  9         Representatives.

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11  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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13         That the following amendment to Section 4 of Article

14  III of the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be

15  submitted to the electors of this state for approval or

16  rejection at the next general election or at an earlier

17  special election specifically authorized by law for that

18  purpose:

19                           ARTICLE III

20                           LEGISLATURE

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22         SECTION 4.  Quorum and procedure.--

23         (a)  A majority of the membership of each house shall

24  constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may adjourn from day

25  to day and compel the presence of absent members in such

26  manner and under such penalties as it may prescribe.  Each

27  house shall determine its rules of procedure.

28         (b)  Sessions of each house shall be public; except

29  sessions of the senate when considering appointment to or

30  removal from public office may be closed.

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SJR 92
    36-128-01




  1         (c)  Each house shall keep and publish a journal of its

  2  proceedings; and upon the request of five members present, the

  3  vote of each member voting on any question shall be entered on

  4  the journal.  In any legislative committee or subcommittee,

  5  the vote of each member voting on the final passage of any

  6  legislation pending before the committee, and upon the request

  7  of any two members of the committee or subcommittee, the vote

  8  of each member on any other question, shall be recorded.

  9         (d)  Each house may punish a member for contempt or

10  disorderly conduct and, by a two-thirds vote of its

11  membership, may expel a member.

12         (e)  The rules of procedure of each house shall provide

13  that all legislative committee and subcommittee meetings of

14  each house, and joint conference committee meetings, shall be

15  open and noticed to the public.  The rules of procedure of

16  each house shall further provide that all prearranged

17  gatherings, between more than two members of the legislature,

18  or between the governor, the president of the senate or the

19  president-designate of the senate, or the speaker of the house

20  of representatives or the speaker-designate of the house of

21  representatives, the purpose of which is to agree upon formal

22  legislative action that will be taken at a subsequent time, or

23  at which formal legislative action is taken, regarding pending

24  legislation or amendments, shall be reasonably open to the

25  public. All open meetings shall be subject to order and

26  decorum.  This section shall be implemented and defined by the

27  rules of each house, and such rules shall control admission to

28  the floor of each legislative chamber and may, where

29  reasonably necessary for security purposes or to protect a

30  witness appearing before a committee, provide for the closure

31  of committee meetings.  Each house shall be the sole judge for

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SJR 92
    36-128-01




  1  the interpretation, implementation, and enforcement of this

  2  section.

  3         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be

  4  placed on the ballot:

  5                     CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

  6                      ARTICLE III, SECTION 4

  7         OPEN MEETINGS.--Proposing an amendment to the State

  8  Constitution to require that open-meetings rules of the

  9  Legislature apply to meetings between the Governor and the

10  President-Designate of the Senate or the Speaker-Designate of

11  the House of Representatives.

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