Don't Leave the Room

[babylonsister]

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/12/08/dont_leave_the_room.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PoliticalWire+(Taegan+Goddard%27s+Political+Wire)

Don't Leave the Room

The Raleigh News and Observer reports that Republicans took control of the Wake County Board of Commissioners last night after 14 tie votes -- only when one Democratic member took an unexcused bathroom break and the tie was broken.

[loyalkydem]

1. Big Whomp

I feel for Raleigh. Used to be my hang out spot as a teenager.

[Demoiselle]

2. Any Roberts Rules experts here?

I know that once you've taken attendance and have a quorum present, it doesn't matter if people leave the meeting....Decisions can still be made by those who remain, you can't have spoilsports leaving and then saying that the meeting is no longer legitimate.
By that reasoning, does the majority count remain the same even if someone leaves? I mean...if you've got 28 people at a meeting, you need 15 for a majority. Yes, you could get away with 14 yeas, 13 nays and 1 abstention, but sneaking a vote to take advantage of a potty break?
I really don't know, I'm just asking because it sounds so nefarious.

[Demoiselle]

3. And another thing...who was running the meeting? A Republican?

If so, it doesn't make sense. The Chair of a meeting can usually only vote to BREAK a tie, not tie something up. If you had 13 Repukes plus the Chairman, and 14 Dems, then the 14 Dems would have carried the vote long before one of their number went to the bathroom. And if a Democrat was running the meeting, he wouldn't have allowed the vote. Nor could he be forced to, without some kind of supermajority.
I'm sorry to beat this horse....but I was very active on the board of a community organization for a while, ran the meetings, too. It was hell on earth a lot of the time. So this thread really caught my eye.