Newest senator meets residency rule, can stay

The Senate GOP caucus voted unanimously Thursday not to take action to remove new Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, despite questions raised about whether he meets the residency requirements to fill the seat.

"There was robust discussion on it, but in the end, the caucus was unanimous we would not take up any consideration of the challenge," Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, said. "The caucus felt that it was a technicality."

The vote backed the position taken by Senate leaders to support the Democratic Party's choice to replace former Sen. Paula Julander, who resigned for health reasons.

McCoy was elected last weekend in a contested race by party delegates from District 2, which includes the Avenues, Capitol Hill and Central City neighborhoods. He is the Senate's first openly gay member.

Questions had been raised about whether he needed to have lived in the state for three years prior to when Julander sought the seat or three years prior to his running to fill the vacancy. He has lived in the state for just over three years.

Valentine said there is enough ambiguity about the residency requirement that he will recommend it be studied during the interim session. He said the closed-door caucus discussion focused only the issue, not on McCoy himself.