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ASBSU removes Sawmiller, Wilson threatens to resign
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Directly after the Associated Students of Boise State University Senate met in the Student Union Building Forum Tuesday, Senate Pro Tempore Greg Wilson was informed of the removal of Senator At-Large Jonathan Sawmiller.
According to Wilson, Associate Director of Student Activities Rob Meyer, along with Assistant Director of Student Activities Mike Esposito and Business Manager Al Robison, approached him just after the Senate met Tuesday and Meyer told Wilson that Sawmiller (who has been serving in Iraq) would be removed as a senator and his pay would be stopped.
Nancy Sawmiller, Jonathan’s mother, is expecting him home Thursday night. Jonathan Sawmiller is an Airman First Class with the Idaho Air National Guard serving as a chemical weapons specialist.
College Republican President Brandon Stoker has been in contact with Sawmiller during his deployment.
“It’s his job to screen for biological and chemical agents. If they find an IED he will screen it,” Stoker said.
Senator Wilson believes what Meyer, Esposito and Robison have done is unconscionable and he will not be a part of it.
Meyer informed Senator Wilson of the minimum requirements for extracurricular activities and told Wilson one of the senators had not met them.
According to Meyer, if students fail to meet the minimum requirements for extracurricular activities by the 10th day of the semester the student is removed.
Once Meyer informed the Senate Pro Temore, it became Wilson’s duty to notify the Senator.
Under article one, section three of the ASBSU constitution all ASBSU senators must be full-fee paying students (enrolled in at least eight credits). In the same section and under the same article in the ASBSU constitution senators are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 grading scale.
“His grades meet the standards. His GPA is high enough,” Wilson said.
Sawmiller is ineligible because he failed to meet the requirements of the ASBSU constitution. As of the 10th day of school, he was not taking enough credits.
“He has the opportunity to increase his credit load when he returns,” Wilson said.
ASBSU President Wyatt Parke indicated he would put Sawmiller at the front of the list to become a senator as soon as he returned.
“Without public comment, without consulting senators until after the fact and with some administration – they didn’t say who – {they] removed him from the Senate,” Wilson said.
If a senator fails to meet the requirements of the constitution, there is no process, no argument, nothing. He or she is simply removed.
When asked to comment Tuesday, several ASBSU senators declined until they were better informed of all the facts. Before Meyer briefed Sen. Wilson, no one on the Senate knew Sawmiller was breaking a rule. Wilson opines that Sawmiller is getting railroaded out of the Senate without due process.
“I don’t know if this has anything to do with his conservative views but is sure looks like it,” Wilson said. “There should have been a movement to impeach him if he was not meeting the standards. He was meeting the standard.”
Wilson stated he would turn in his resignation September 19. If he was to resign, the ASBSU constitution gives Acting Senate Pro Tempore duties to the Assistant ASBSU Senate Pro Tempore Katie Jo Rupert.
BARRY FRANKLIN
