SGA impeaches president, selects interim figurehead

  Tim Nguyen was removed as UMKC SGA president, a historical decision rendered for a “failure to carry out the duties of student body president,” according to the article of impeachment passed during the Monday student organization meeting.

  Eight senators, including author and former SGA president Justice Horn, co-sponsored the article of impeachment March 2. The article was passed, overwhelmingly, with 21 “yays,” six “nays” and one abstention.

  “This is literally our life raft,” Horn said about the article. “It’s not being mean. It’s not saying we hate someone.”

  Nyguen was initially elected by the student body in 2021 and was re-elected last spring. 

  Roo News reached out to Nguyen for comment, but he declined.

  Executive board members receive their salary through the Student Activity Fee. As president, Nguyen ranked highest on the payroll with a $6,000 yearly income.

  Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Sen. Hayley Prins was appointed as interim president until the results of the general election this spring.

  The rationale behind Nguyen’s impeachment evolved from conversations last fall of adopting proper impeachment procedures in the constitution.

  Nearly 100 days have passed since the senate approved of the Constitutional Revisions Act 2 (CRA), which would add impeachment proceedings to SGA’s constitution along with changes to its code of ethics.

  Nguyen had not approved, vetoed or provided feedback about the CRA since its affirmation Nov. 29, 2022.

  SGA’s constitution states that the president must sign or veto legislation passed by the student senate in a timely manner, a duty many senators felt Nguyen neglected.

  “[Impeaching Nguyen] is not just about one piece of legislation,” said article co-sponsor and Graduate Studies Sen. Duke Porter. “This is about the continued refusal to actively do the duties outlined in our constitution and bylaws for the SGA president.”

  Nguyen told senators at the meeting there was nothing for him to sign. He said the CRA bill did not meet the three-fourths majority vote and is currently under litigation with SGA’s supreme court. 

  Senators quickly corrected Nguyen, as almost 90% of the senators present at the November meeting passed the bill for executive response. 

  The CRA went under judicial review Jan. 1. SGA’s supreme court has yet to reach an evaluation regarding the legislation.

   Monday’s meeting was supposed to only consist of a first reading of the document; but with a two-thirds majority, the senate motioned to vote on Nguyen’s impeachment status immediately.

  No student senate has impeached an executive officer since 2013 when the student senate pushed its comptroller out of office.

  Per the constitution guidelines, Nguyen’s leadership role would normally fall to the second-in-command. However, the vice president resigned at the beginning of spring semester, and SGA has yet to find a replacement. 

  These abnormal circumstances led to the confirmation of Prins, whom Horn nominated, as interim president.

  “I promise you that I will do a good job as the interim [face] of SGA,” Prins said to her fellow senators before her approval. “I will be receptive to whatever you all want because, ultimately, you all represent the students. You are the closest soundboard that the president has.”

  Tensions among SGA members and its president emerged at the beginning of the school year. These frictions have raised the eyebrows of students and administrators, an issue Prins hopes to amend. 

  After the meeting concluded, Prins signed off on the CRA, contributing to the fourth senate and president-approved acts of legislation this school year.

  “I want to regain the legitimacy of SGA,” Prins said. “[I want to] make sure that whoever’s in office next year is at a good place to do so in the eyes of the public, community and the school — and I’ll just steer the ship until then.”

  The senate and its new interim president will meet again at 6 p.m., March 20 in the Student Union Chambers. 

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