The Mississippi State University Student Association Senate’s first meeting in March was dominated by talks of impeachment of current Vice President Layton Little, but multiple pieces of legislation were also passed on the Senate floor.

First, three resolutions passed. Resolution 53 showed student support for the restructuring of Engineering Mechanics courses to help alleviate pressure on professors.
Resolution 54 showed student support for the Stoneman Douglass High School students, who are now advocating for stronger gun control after the recent mass shooting occurred at their school, and their ability to contest current gun laws.
Senator Alivia Roberts, the author of the bill, emphasized the resolution did not advocate the gun control measures the student are fighting for, but the resolution shows appreciation for the students’ attempts to change their government. Some senators asked how one can separate the advocation for the students and the advocation of their cause, but the bill passed with 30 passes and 16 fails.
Resolution 55 expressed student disapproval for the Starkville Board of Aldermen for their original refusal to allow a Starkville LGBTQ+ Pride Parade and passed 46-0. The Pride Parade is now allowed to occur after a 3-3 vote with Alderman David Little abstaining, and Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill breaking the tie in favor of the event.
Act 13, an appropriations bill, gained funds for groups around campus, including such groups as Campus Crusade for Christ, LGBTQ Union and the Residence Hall Association.
Finally, Bill 13 struck an outdated clause in the SA Constitution which only required the Governmental Relations committee to attend meetings with the Board of Aldermen, but the clause now requires an hour-long workshop to occur.
Following the end of legislation on the floor, Senator Peyton Parker brought impeachment charges against VP Layton Little for alleged misuse of authority, which the SA constitution qualifies as an impeachable offense. Little recused himself, and President Pro Tempore Jake Manning began residing over the meeting.
Little is accused of using administrative access to election records to view the campaign platforms for his opponent in the presidential race, Mayah Emerson, and Jake Manning, who is running for Vice President. Little is then accused of sharing this information with another preliminary VP candidate, in order to give this person an advantage against Manning.
David Quevos, Little’s roommate, was present for the meeting and gave his testimony, saying he overheard Little speaking with someone about the campaign points on the phone, but he could not verify who was the person on the phone.
Following Quevos’s testimony, the Senate began to debate whether the charges should be brought against Little. Little himself claimed the accusations are based on embellishments, but he does admit to viewing the records out of curiosity. However, he denies sharing the information with anyone beside his campaign managers.
After much debate, the Senate voted to bring the charges against Little and to have an impeachment trial on the next Senate meeting on March 20. To clarify, Little is not currently impeached, as the vote on March 6 only stated the issue is worthy of a trial. If Layton is found guilty during the upcoming trial, he will face impeachment.
After discussing he and Layton’s long friendship, Alex Bedwell, current College of Business and Industry seat senator, expressed his feelings toward the hearing.
“I would hate to see Layton impeached and removed from office,” Bedwell said. “I truly believe he came into the Office of Vice President with the best intentions and that he has made a genuine effort to improve campus. However, it would be unfair to the students who elected me to ignore the fact that Layton blatantly abused his power in an attempt to gain more.”
Additionally, Adam Sabes, Political/Special Interest Organizations seat senator, commented on the situation.
“The fact that we have to go through an impeachment process is saddening, and something that nobody expected to happen,” Sabes said. “I think that Layton is a great person and has done a great deal for this Student Association, but given the evidence we were presented in Tuesday night’s Senate meeting, we did not have a choice but to proceed with the impeachment hearings.”