A presidential veto overturned a Undergraduate Student Government Senate decision Dec. 9, allowing area governments to retain control of the area senator appointment process.

The resolution, passed by the senate 12-6-5 at its Dec. 5 meeting, required area senatorial candidates to undergo an evaluation by the Senate Appointment Review Board, which currently interviews town senatorial candidates. Previously, area councils interviewed the applicants independently of SARB.

Association of Residence Hall Students President Dominic Mattioni and East Halls President Robyn Walls spoke against the legislation at the Senate's open student forum on Nov. 29 and Dec. 5. The senate reserves time at the beginning of each meeting to hear students' views and concerns. Immediately after the senate passed the resolution, Walls said she would seek a presidential veto.

USG President Seth Williams said he vetoed the legislation following a meeting with ARHS officials because he felt it represented an unnecessary check on the power of area governments.

"I don't like to get involved with telling the legislative branch what to do. This is the first resolution I ever vetoed," Williams said. "The local areas are best suited to determine who represents them (in the senate)."

East Halls Senator Chris Gazze, a co-sponsor of the resolution, said the legislation was intended to make the area and town appointment processes more consistent. However, Mattioni said the legislation was motivated by the Senate's ongoing feud with ARHS.

"I think Gazze is unwilling to work with area governments," Mattioni said. "He'd rather dictate through the senate."

Gazze said after the resolution was passed that members of USG Senate and ARHS have allowed personal feelings to cloud their judgment, but denied that his legislation was endemic of that problem.

Williams acknowledged the existence of personal conflicts between USG Senators and ARHS members, but said, "I think we've resolved some of that."

Walls does not believe the legislation was prompted by personal reasons either. "I don't feel Chris (Gazze) has any vendetta," she said. "I just don't think his position was well-researched."