Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) said she would have opposed South Side Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson’s (11th) bill that would have required committee chairmen to call roll to ensure a 50% quorum at meetings, but Thompson withdrew it from consideration once it became clear that not enough aldermen supported its passage.
In back-and-forth with Thompson at the Rules Committee meeting on Monday, Hairston asked about the budgetary impact of his proposal. Thompson responded that meetings held during evenings would be held at City Hall and that there would be little impact on city and aldermanic staffs’ salaried wages.
Asked in a subsequent interview if she would have supported the legislation had it come up for a vote, Hairston replied, “The thing is that it already exists. There’s a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. It is well within the chair’s right to call a meeting at any time.”
She observed that Robert’s Rules of Order, which regulate committee meetings, allow for a quorum call at any time.
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