00                   HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 18                                                                   
01 Proposing an amendment to the Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature relating                                    
02 to voting.                                                                                                              
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04    * Section 1. Rule 34(b), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, is amended to read:                        
05            (b)  Abstention. Every member present in the house shall vote; however, a                                
06       member shall request permission to abstain from voting if the member                                          
07       reasonably believes that by voting the member would violate a provision of                                    
08       AS 24.60.030 that prohibits a member from voting. The member shall give notice                                
09       of the request before the house divides or before the call for the yeas and nays is                           
10       commenced and shall make a brief oral statement of the reason that the member                                 
11       requests permission to abstain and the specific provision of AS 24.60.030 that                                
12       requires the member's abstention. After notice of the request is made, the leader                             
13       of the majority caucus and the leader of the minority caucus, if any, shall each                              
14       cast a vote on the question of whether AS 24.60.030 requires the member to                                    
15       abstain. If the leader of the majority caucus or the leader of the minority caucus                            
16       or both vote yes on the question, the member shall abstain [UNLESS THE                                        

01       HOUSE FOR SPECIAL REASONS PERMITS A MEMBER TO ABSTAIN. ALL                                                        
02       MOTIONS EXCUSING A MEMBER FROM VOTING SHALL BE MADE                                                               
03       BEFORE THE HOUSE DIVIDES OR BEFORE THE CALL FOR THE YEAS AND                                                      
04       NAYS IS COMMENCED. A MEMBER REQUESTING TO BE EXCUSED FROM                                                         
05       VOTING MAY MAKE A BRIEF ORAL STATEMENT OF THE REASONS FOR                                                         
06       THE REQUEST AND THE QUESTION OF GRANTING PERMISSION TO                                                            
07       ABSTAIN SHALL BE TAKEN WITHOUT FURTHER DEBATE. A MEMBER                                                           
08       MAY NOT EXPLAIN A VOTE, MAY NOT DISCUSS THE QUESTION WHILE                                                        
09       THE YEAS AND NAYS ARE BEING CALLED, AND MAY NOT CHANGE A                                                          
10       VOTE AFTER THE ROLL CALL RESULT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED. UPON                                                          
11       DIVISION AND COUNT OF THE HOUSE OF ANY QUESTION A MEMBER                                                          
12       WHO IS NOT WITHIN THE CHAMBER MAY NOT BE COUNTED. A MEMBER                                                        
13       MAY NOT BE PERMITTED TO ABSTAIN EXCEPT UPON THE UNANIMOUS                                                         
14       CONSENT OF THE MEMBERSHIP].