North Dakota Legislative Procedures and Arrangements Committee - No Food in Committee Rooms

NORTH DAKOTA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Minutes of the
LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE AND ARRANGEMENTS COMMITTEE
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Harvest Room, State Capitol
Bismarck, North Dakota
Representative Al Carlson, Chairman, called the
meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.
Members present: Representatives Al Carlson,
Merle Boucher, David Monson, Kenton Onstad, Don
Vigesaa; Senators Randel Christmann, Carolyn
Nelson, David O'Connell, Bob Stenehjem
Member absent: Senator Jerry Klein
Others present: Allen H. Knudson, Karen J.
Mund, Jason J. Steckler; Legislative Council,
Bismarck
SUPPLEMENTARY RULES
At the request of Chairman Carlson, the assistant
director reviewed the Supplementary Rules of
Operation and Procedure of the North Dakota
Legislative Management.
With respect to the rule governing attendance
through teleconference or interactive video if
approved by the chairman in advance, Chairman
Carlson said that he prefers that this not become a
standard practice to attend meetings through
teleconference calls because personal attendance is
encouraged. In response to a question from
Representative Monson, Representative Carlson said
the rule on teleconference or interactive video
attendance applies to committee members and not to
receipt of testimony.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ROOM USE
At the request of Chairman Carlson, the assistant
director reviewed the materials distributed to
committee members relating to legislative committee
rules. The materials included a map of the ground
floor of the State Capitol indicating the legislative
committee rooms; a memorandum entitled Legislative
Committee Rooms - Use - Renovation Schedule; a
copy of the Facility Management Division policy on
use of buildings, grounds, and facilities of the State
Capitol; and a memorandum entitled Guidelines for
Use of Legislative Committee Rooms North Dakota
State Capitol.
The memorandum on legislative committee room
use describes Joint Rule 803, relating to use of
legislative committee rooms during a legislative
session, and North Dakota Century Code Section
48-08-04, relating to use of legislative committee
rooms during the interim. The memorandum also
describes the renovations to committee rooms during
the 2007-08 interim.
The assistant director said the Facility
Management Division policy contains the requirement
that the entity using facilities of the Capitol complex
must agree to maintain the facilities in the manner and
condition those facilities were in before the entity's use
of the facilities. He said the question brought before
the committee is the use of those committee rooms
after new tables have been installed and renovations
have been completed.
Representative Carlson said it was easy to allow
use of the rooms before new carpet and new tables
had been installed. Now, he said, it is harder to
release the rooms to use by others throughout the
year.
In response to a question from Representative
Vigesaa, the assistant director said committee rooms
are used quite regularly during the interim.
Senator Christmann questioned whether it would
be that much more difficult to require users to eat in
the cafeteria rather than eat in committee rooms.
Senator Nelson suggested that no food or
beverage be allowed in the committee rooms.
Representative Monson said no furniture should be
allowed to be removed from committee rooms.
The director said the Facility Management Division
has been authorized to schedule rooms that do not
have new tables installed, and this authority is
contingent upon review of the guidelines by this
committee.
It was moved by Representative Monson and
seconded by Representative Vigesaa that the
guidelines for use of legislative committee rooms
be amended to prohibit food in legislative
committee rooms, allow beverages if coasters are
used, and prohibit rearrangement in or removal of
furniture from the committee rooms, and that the
guidelines, as amended, be approved.
Representative Carlson said it may be difficult to
enforce the restrictions on food and beverages, but at
least the restrictions will be in the guidelines and
users are expected to comply with the guidelines.
After this discussion, the motion carried on a roll
call vote. Representatives Carlson, Boucher,
Monson, Onstad, and Vigesaa and Senators
Christmann, Nelson, O'Connell, and Stenehjem voted
"aye." No negative votes were cast.
The director said the Legislative Assembly
appropriated $1 million for legislative wing
renovations. Unless otherwise directed, he said, the
Legislative Procedure and Arrangements 2 June 23, 2009
staff will provide a list of potential expenditures and
improvements to the next meeting of the committee.
USE OF LEGISLATIVE CHAMBERS
Chairman Carlson called on the assistant director
to review the Guidelines for Use of Legislative
Chambers and Displays in Memorial Hall, North
Dakota State Capitol. The assistant director reviewed
a request by the Land Department to use the House
chamber on November 3, 2009, to conduct an oil and
gas lease auction and a request by the North Dakota
High School Activities Association (NDHSAA) to use
the House and Senate chambers and legislative
committee rooms for the State Student Congress on
Thursday and Friday, November 5-6, 2009, and
Thursday and Friday, November 4-5, 2010. He said
the Legislative Management Committee last interim
approved the request by the NDHSAA to use the
House and Senate chambers and the legislative
committee rooms in 2009, but both requests are being
presented to the committee so as to inform the
committee that requests by the NDHSAA are made at
least two years in advance to allow for notice and
scheduling by high schools around the state.
It was moved by Representative Boucher,
seconded by Senator Nelson, and carried on a roll
call vote that the committee approve the
guidelines and approve the requests to use the
chambers and committee rooms by the Land
Department on November 3, 2009, and the North
Dakota High School Activities Association in 2009
and 2010. Representatives Carlson, Boucher,
Monson, Onstad, and Vigesaa and Senators
Christmann, Nelson, O'Connell, and Stenehjem voted
"aye." No negative votes were cast.
LEGISLATIVE DEADLINES
Senator Stenehjem requested the staff to present
the 2011 legislative deadlines to the committee at its
next meeting to allow the committee to review those
deadlines and how rules may be revised to allow
additional time for consideration of measures. He
said the two-day committees seem to be pressed for
adequate time, especially due to the later bill
introduction deadline in the Senate.
No further business appearing, Chairman Carlson
adjourned the meeting at 8:40 a.m.
___________________________________________
Jay E. Buringrud
Assistant Director
___________________________________________
Jim W. Smith
Director