By Emma King, Staff Writer
The Baylor Student Senate voted not to impeach External Vice President Steven Newcomb during its weekly meeting Thursday night. If the charges were upheld, Newcomb could have been removed.
The Senate deliberated and voted on a course of action while in executive session, which requires all non-Senate members leave the room, including student body officers. Arguments presented in executive session, the exact tally of the votes and the charges against Newcomb were not released to the public.
“It’s a difficult process,” Internal Vice President Lindsey Bacque said. “It requires a three-fourths vote to remove the member, and today I can tell you that it wasn’t met.”
The charges against Newcomb were brought before a smaller group of senators in the Senate Executive Council on Monday. Newcomb was asked to resign, but according to student government process, any member who does not agree with their disciplinary sanctions may appear before the full Senate to discuss the situation. Newcomb decided to appear before the full Senate.
“Basically, a group of senators called into question my commitment to the office,” Newcomb said.
The Student Senate looked into governing documents and created a democratic environment during their executive session, according to a release from Student Government.
“If it weren’t for the Senate checking the actions of the seven members of the SEC, Steven Newcomb would no longer be our EVP,” said senior senator Chase Hardy, speaking individually and not as a representative of the entire senate.
Hardy said it is important for the Senate to remember that Newcomb ran for his office unopposed. He said the senators that are complaining about the job Newcomb is or isn’t doing could have run against him during elections, but they chose not to.
Hardy also said that impeachment should have been a last resort.
“Impeachment is the maximum penalty provided by the SEC,” Hardy said. “They could have done any number of things. As far as I can tell, without warning, in a single action, they kind of clumped all the things they had been building up against him, that they failed to discuss with him, and they just pushed it on him.”
The Senate member who filed the initial charge against Newcomb and began this avalanche remains anonymous to the public and the Senate.
“I was very disappointed by this, but as a result, students have believed me to be committed and I look forward to serving this illustrious university for the rest of the year,” Newcomb said. “I’m really excited to continue working as EVP and for Baylor.”
