Let’s Play by the Rules

I’m writing in response to Legislator Frank Castiglia’s melodramatic August 29, 2025, editorial titled “Cry Me A River!”
He began, “If you missed the August Legislative meeting, you missed another meeting where Legislator Roy Reehil stormed out of the meeting, refusing to vote on a motion.”
There is a video of the meeting on YouTube, and you’ll find my comments and “storming out” at the 1 hour, 18 minutes, and 26 second mark. It lasts 30 seconds.
As I explained at the meeting, “You are not allowed to make resolutions out of whole cloth,” referring to the rules of the legislature, which specifically indicate that new business must be brought through the appropriate committee and approved before it can be added to a legislative agenda. Without that “process” in place, why have committees? Why have agendas with written resolutions? This process has been in place for thirty years because otherwise, any legislator could bring new business every meeting, and if they can bring one new motion, then not 100. No need for committees. No need for Agendas. It would be chaos, and as Minority Leader, Legislator Castiglia knows that. It’s just wasted time, Frank-drama for drama’s sake.
Here is the specific rule: Page 5, Item D., of our rules specifies that “a resolution introduced at any meeting shall, before it is introduced, be submitted in writing to the appropriate committee concerned therewith.” Resolutions that pass at committee move on to the next level of committee if necessary, and only then move to the agenda of the full legislature.
So, why did I walk out rather than just vote no. I said at the moment, “If we did this before, it was a mistake, and we should not make it again. I refuse to vote on this motion,” then I walked out. No shouting. No storming out. I just left. Refusing to vote on the motion seemed the best way to not vote, because there are only three ways to vote in the legislature, yea, nay or abstain, and you have to have a reason to abstain. My only reason was that it was against the rules and being excused seemed a good way to make my point.
The rules of our legislature may seem arcane to some, but without them, our meetings could go on forever, and any legislator could bring up new business simply by being recognized by the chairman. Legislator Castiglia would be well served by becoming familiar with the rules of the legislature, as would every sitting legislator in the county. It would make for less drama on the floor.

Roy Reehil

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