(a) Appointments by the Governor which require confirmation by the Senate shall be received and read in open session of the Senate and shall then be referred to one or more committees of reference. Consideration of any such appointment by a committee of reference shall be listed on the Senate calendar prior to such consideration so as to permit public comment and information concerning such appointment to be submitted to the committee, its chairman, or the staff thereof.
(b) On the date stated on the Senate calendar, the committee shall consider the appointment in open session and without conducting a public hearing thereon, unless the committee, in open session and upon the vote of a majority of the members present, determines otherwise.
(c) The report of the committee on any such appointment may recommend that the Senate conduct an executive session to consider the appointment, otherwise the consideration thereof shall be in open session of the Senate. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d) of this rule, consideration of any such appointment shall be placed on the Senate calendar for the second day of actual session next following receipt of the committee report thereon.
(d) (1) (A) A committee of reference may recommend that a confirmation be placed on the consent calendar for consideration by the Senate. Except as otherwise provided in this rule, any confirmation reported out by the committee that the majority leader determines to be noncontroversial in nature may be placed on the consent calendar in the sole discretion of the majority leader, after consultation with the minority leader.
(B) Unless otherwise indicated, a confirmation shall be placed on the consent calendar for the second day of actual session following the day on which the decision is made to place the confirmation on the consent calendar. If any member, when recognized for such purpose, objects orally at the microphone to inclusion of a confirmation on the consent calendar, the confirmation shall be removed from the consent calendar and, unless otherwise indicated, shall be placed at the end of the calendar for that day. The consent calendar shall appear on the calendar under the title of "consideration of Governor's appointments", and it shall be clearly designated by the words "consent calendar".
(2) All confirmations on the consent calendar shall be considered by the Senate in the same manner as other confirmations; except that:
(A) No substantial debate, other than simple comments or questions, shall be permitted for confirmations on the consent calendar; and
(B) There shall be a single vote covering all confirmations appearing on the consent calendar. The vote shall have the effect of confirming all such appointments; except that any member may register a "no" vote on any individual confirmation appearing on the consent calendar. The vote shall be by ayes and noes and entered in the journal separately for each confirmation.
(3) A confirmation shall be removed from the consent calendar upon the objection of any member made at any time after the Senate begins to consider the confirmation. If the objection is made prior to the vote on the confirmations on the consent calendar, the confirmation shall be deemed as not having been considered and, unless otherwise indicated, shall be placed at the end of the calendar for that day.