After lengthy debate and a revote, the new Government of the Student Body Senate rejected President Rob Wiese’s choice for next year’s director of finance at Wednesday night’s Senate meeting.

The new Senate took office halfway through the meeting.

Before the first vote to accept the director of finance, several senators questioned whether Wiese’s candidate, Jeremy Williams, a junior in computer engineering, was qualified for the position.

David Schooff, graduate, asked Wiese who the other candidates for the position were and what qualifications he used to choose his candidate.

Rodney Morris, former TRA senator, said it was disappointing to see the same problem with seating a director of finance occur this year as last year.

Schooff was former GSB President Adam Gold’s choice for director of finance last year. He was also rejected by senators, who cited qualification problems.

Williams’ nomination passed the first time around, 20-17. It takes a majority vote of all seated senators to be confirmed, meaning exactly 20 votes.

Senators originally voted 19-17 in favor of confirming Williams, but according to GSB rules, if the chair of the Senate can affect the outcome of the vote, he or she is allowed to vote.

In this case, new Vice President Matt McLaren put Williams over the top.

But Kari Ditsworth, graduate, and Brooke Douglas, Panhellenic, moved to reconsider the vote.

Christopher Wisher, TRA, urged senators to vote against reconsidering. “The judgment has been made,” he said.

Still, the motion passed.

Before the second vote, Jamal White, engineering, reminded senators to vote for their constituents. He said all the engineering senators should be voting for Williams because at the latest Engineering Council meeting there was no opposition to the appointment.

Williams was turned down the second time around, 17-19. Ditsworth and Douglas changed their votes, and McLaren couldn’t vote this time because his vote wouldn’t affect the outcome.

Williams said he didn’t think GSB could sink any lower than when he was a senator three years ago. He said Wednesday that he was wrong. “They [the students] say GSB doesn’t affect anyone, but they’ve affected me,” Williams said.

Wiese said he was disappointed with many of the Senate’s decisions.

He said there was a meeting held Tuesday night for anyone who had questions about any of the nominees for cabinet positions, but no senators voiced any opposition to Williams.

“Tonight you’ve turned down the best person possible for the job,” Wiese said.

In related business

* A bill to approve special student fees schedule for 1997-98 passed 25-0.

* A bill seating all new senators for the 1997-98 term passed 27-0.

* A bill seating Ryan Glanzer as the new chief of staff passed by unanimous consent.

* A bill seating all other members of the executive cabinet passed by unanimous consent.

* A bill to seat Mark Nimmer as a Supreme Court Associate Justice was ruled out of order.

* Yasmin Blackburn was seated as a new off-campus senator for the 1997-98 term, replacing Shantel Brown.