Skye Duncan | Lariat Photographer
By Reubin Turner
Assistant City Editor
In its longest meeting of the 62nd session, student senators voted yesterday not to remove two senior class officers and a student senator from office, based on charges regarding attendance brought against them by the Senate Executive Council.
Woodinville, Wash., senior Gannon McCahill, New Orleans senior Amando Franco-Dominick and Flower Mound senior Garrett Roberts were all up for removal.
According to the Student Senate’s governing documents, senators are allowed up to two unexcused absences in a semester. After five unexcused absences, the senators are called before the Senate Executive Council.
“Since the proceedings took place during an executive session, we can’t comment on the nature of the requests for resignation,” said Port Barre sophomore Lindsey Bacque, public relations chair for the internal vice-president.
Franco-Dominick said, however, attendance was the principal cause of the charges brought against the officers and senator.
“Those called into questions were notified last week by email that the Senate Executive Council was requesting our resignation,” Franco-Dominick said.
When the item came up on the agenda regarding removal from office charges, a motion was made and seconded from the floor to move into an executive session, allowing only elected members of student government remain in the room.
A member then made a motion to suspend the rules and allow members of the student government to stay as well, which passed with a majority.
According to the Student Senate bylaws, the president of the Student Senate has the right to decide what constitutes an excused and an unexcused absence. In some cases, a majority vote by the council can also cause an absence to be excused.
Any student who wishes to remain in office upon the resignation request must go before the Student Senate for consideration. The senate will then vote on whether or not to remove the officer or senator from office.
