If a member moves to postpone all committee reports, what ruling would you issue?

• A. Rule the motion out of order
• B. Deny without prejudice
• C. Postpone indefinitely
• D. Refer to the committee

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that motions must be properly formed and have a clear scope. A motion to “postpone all committee reports” tries to delay every item from every committee in one broad sweep without specifying a time or a valid purpose. Under standard parliamentary procedure, there isn’t a recognized, proper form for postponing all committee reports in a single motion, so it’s not in order. The chair should rule it out of order so the assembly can handle business with valid motions that have a specific scope and time, such as postponing a particular report to a set date, laying the item on the table, or referring it to a committee for consideration. The other options don’t fit because they either refer to nonstandard terminology or would not appropriately address this broad, undefined postponement.