Senate speaker tenders resignation

By: Vincent Fernandez / Staff Writer

In a press release sent out on Feb. 1, Student Government Council at Modesto Maidique Campus Senate Speaker and College of Engineering and Computing Senator William-Jose Velez announced his resignation.

“I have had to make a difficult decision to step down from my positions in order to be able to focus on my academics,” Velez wrote.

Due to SGC-MMC Senate statutes regarding line of succession in the specific case of the Senate Speaker’s resignation or removal, the Speaker Pro Tempore, in this case Hector Mujica, will become Senate Speaker.

Velez went on to say that he is confident that Mujica will do “an extraordinary job as Speaker and [that] the Senate will continue its work on the many reformations we began this year.”

With Mujica moving to Senate Speaker, the position of Speaker Pro Tempore will be up for grabs. While there is a line of succession for cases in which the Senate Speaker is removed or dismissed, there is no explicit statement in the statutes regarding the process for replacing the Speaker Pro Tempore by succession. However, if it were to be by succession, next in line would be the Finance Committee Chair, which is currently held by Cristina Loreto.

Student Media spoke with now Senate Speaker Hector Mujica, who has been consulting with both Campus Life Advisers and the SGA Judicial Branch to confirm the correct process for replacing the Speaker Pro Tempore position.

“As of now we are planning on asking Senator Loreto to step up and be confirmed by the Senate on Monday as Pro Temp to avoid any legal issues,” Mujica told Student Media. “Should she fail to pass the Senate, we may need to have open elections within the Senate for the position.”

Mujica went on to say that if Loreto is approved for the position, the Senate will present nominations and hold elections on Monday to fill the vacant Finance Chair seat.

“Assuring we have a Pro Temp is currently of the utmost importance as the budget process starts next week and the Pro Temp is a voting member of both the University Wide Budget Committee and the Campus Specific Budget Committee,” Mujica added.

Until the confusion about whether Senator Loreto will be able to fill the vacant position clears up, there is no set date to consider refilling vacant senate seats, which include the College of Engineering and Computing and the College of Business.

Vincent Fernandez works as a beat writer, covering the Student Governing Council at Modesto Maidique Campus for The Beacon.