Senate moves to impeach Comptroller Rosa-Blanco

By: Vincent Fernandez / Staff Writer

The Student Governing Council at Modesto Maidique Campus senate met on Oct. 11 and moved to impeach SGC-MMC Comptroller Maria Rosa-Blanco after being found in violation of an attendance statute.

The first step in the impeachment process is to inform Rosa-Blanco of the impeachment and then to hold a hearing which allows her to defend herself. During the next SGC-MMC senate meeting, the date for the impeachment hearing will be set. After this hearing, the senate will decide whether or not to actually remove Rosa-Blanco.

College of Arts and Sciences Senator Moses Aluicio clarified that: “impeachment does not necessarily mean removal; in theory the senate can censure a person.”

When a member of the Sudent Government Association is censured, they are officially reprimanded by the senate due to problems that occur during their time as a member of SGA. Censures can also be used as evidence in an impeachment trial.

During the hearing, SGC-MMC Graduate Senator Erika Edwards pointed out that the comptroller’s signature is required to give any organization amounts of money greater than $3,000.

This was a problem because the Graduate Student Funding Committee had just allocated $4,400 to the Academy for Arts and Teachings without Rosa-Blanco’s signature. SGC-MMC President Helena Ramirez noted that because she was not aware of this allocation, nor signed it, that the money may become void and be refunded to SGA.

“In order to appropriate these funds [SGA] would either have to break the law or mail all forms to [Rosa-Blanco] and have her sign them and then mail them back,” said College of Arts and Sciences Senator Chris Cabral.

Cabral felt the impeachment process would allow for Rosa-Blanco to not only defend herself but also clear up many questions that Ramirez cannot answer for Rosa-Blanco.

While giving her report on the comptroller, Ramirez also noted that the SGC-MMC Director of External Relations Andrea Alhadari resigned from her position due to the fact that she had prior engagements that needed her attention.

Internal Affairs Coordinator Daniel Gonzalez will now be heading an investigation which will submit an impeachment report at the next senate meeting on Rosa-Blanco and her work.

Gonzalez also presented his report on SGC-MMC Director of Campus Life Alex Lastra. Although the investigation has been underway for a week, Gonzalez said it was still ongoing due to governing councils not responding to his attempts to reach them.

Aside from the move to impeach Rosa-Blanco, the committee that was formed at a previous meeting to investigate regulations for political parties brought its report to the senate. The committee’s purpose was to investigate other college’s political party systems and use them as a guideline for creating regulations.

The report was delivered by Lower Division Senator Patrick O’Keefe and a point brought up was that the bill, although mainly just regulations, seemed to promote the creation of political parties. Also, it was noted by Aluicio that the parties should not be regulated by the Elections Commission which, at best, is a one man committee, according to Aluicio.

“According to this [bill], there is no oversight on the money,” Aluicio said. “How can we base it on the elections board which in the past has been a minority? How can we put these organizations under the elections board when there is none?”

O’Keefe ensured the senators that the point of the bill was purely to be used as guidelines, and will be subject to change over time.

“It’s putting regulations in place just in case somebody decides to start a political party and ask for funding to campaign,” O’Keefe said.