Section 1. Attendance and vote. a. Every Senator shall be present
within the Senate Chamber during the sessions of the Senate, unless duly
excused or necessarily prevented, and shall vote on each question for
which a vote is required stated from the Chair unless excused by the
Senate, or unless he or she has a direct personal or pecuniary interest
in the event of such question. If any Senator refuses to vote, unless he
or she be excused by the Senate, or unless he or she be interested, such
refusal shall be deemed a contempt. In order to vote on a bill on the
controversial calendar, a Senator, other than the Conference Leaders,
must be present in the Senate chamber and vote from his or her regularly
assigned seat, except that a Senator acting as the Presiding Officer,
Temporary President or Conference Leader may vote from the place
assigned to such officer. No Senator absent from a roll call vote shall
be allowed to vote thereon; however, within the same day, a Senator
required to attend a public hearing or other meeting of a standing or
conference committee, or any other meeting which the Majority Coalition
Leaders designate as appropriate, may cast his or her vote at any time
prior to 5:00 P.M. or the adjournment of the Senate, whichever shall be
later.

b. A Senator desiring to be excused from voting for a direct personal
or pecuniary interest in the issue then before the Senate may, when his
or her name is called, state such desire and if there be an objection
make a brief statement, not occupying over two minutes, of the reasons
for making such request, and the question on excusing him or her shall
then be taken without debate and shall be granted by the consent of
two-thirds of the Senators present; and any Senator desiring to explain
his or her vote upon a bill, may, when his or her name is called, be
allowed a like opportunity.