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Motion of the Council of Allegheny County amending and supplementing the Rules of Council, Article IV, Rule B, in order to establish a uniform mechanism for the consideration of written motions.
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Whereas, Allegheny County Council members do, from time to time, introduce written motions expressing the sense of Council regarding issues of significance; and
Whereas, these motions often relate to issues that require careful consideration and through evaluation before voting upon them, and have recently involved subject matter as diverse as teaching Critical Race Theory, Federal budgeting priorities, commercial vehicle size regulations, minimum wage rates, interstate bridge tolling, transgendered scholastic athlete participation, and potential court diversion programs for avoiding evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, among many others; and
Whereas, the existing Rules of Council, specifically Article IV, Rule B requires committee consideration of ordinances and resolutions prior to a final vote on those matters, but does not extend this requirement to motions;
Whereas, it is the desire of Council to clarify the importance of thorough evaluation of the subject matter of motions prior to casting a final vote on them by extending the second reading requirement of Article IV, Rule B to written, non-procedural motions;
The Council of the County of Allegheny therefore hereby moves as follows:
For the reasons delineated herein, the Rules of Council, Article IV, Rule B., is hereby amended as follows:
B. Legislative Action
1. No ordinance, or resolution, or written motion not exclusively relating to a matter of meeting procedure shall be considered until it is given a first reading, referred to a committee, printed for the use of the members, returned from committee, and given second reading, unless:
i. A motion to waive the second reading is approved by two-thirds of the seated members of Council;
ii. A motion to pull a bill from committee is approve...
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