Madison City Council rules on duration times, pet possession

Procedure-filled meeting rejects midnight curfew, allows mini pet pigs within the City of Madison

· Sep 21, 2023 Tweet

Alice Vagun/The Badger Herald

The Madison City Council met Tuesday to discuss and pass new ordinances regarding meeting duration procedures and pet pig legality in Madison.

District 7 Ald. Nasra Wehelie proposed a midnight adjournment rule, which would force meetings to either stop at midnight, or require two-thirds support from members to continue. District 8 Ald. MGR Govindarajan made a change to the ordinance to put the voting threshold at simple majority, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

Discussion went on for about forty minutes, and concluded around 11 p.m., with a vote against the new rule coming to 9-10, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

Another issue that was addressed during the meeting regards Rudi the pig. A 2018 city ordinance prohibited the possession of any pig, hog, boar, or swine anywhere within City of Madison limits.

Rudi is the pig that started the debate against the ordinance back in July, when Rudi’s owners were informed they could not have possession of a pig within the City, according to The Cap Times.

The vote ultimately decided a home can keep one pig as a pet as long as it falls under certain criteria — 24 inches tall or less at the shoulder and weighing less than 300 pounds, according to the legislation, which passed in an 11-8 vote. 

District 12 Ald. Amani Latimer Burris is hopeful that after a long meeting of mostly procedural discussions and learning how to work together as a Council, they can start to make a real difference. 

“We are in such a unique position because we have such diversity,” Burris said. “And when I say diversity, I’m not just talking about gender diversity or racial diversity. We have age diversity, we have thought diversity, religion diversity, we are so diversified it’s insane. And so we have an opportunity to shape and put in … for what your generation has called for. So I get excited if we can just … get the counsel business done, then we can … do a great job of shaping things and listening and creating the city that you want to live in and love.”

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This article was published Sep 21, 2023 at 10:30 am and last updated Sep 21, 2023 at 10:32 am

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