The voters decided in November to have an advisory council select nominees to the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents, rather than have the governor simply appoint them herself.

What they wanted was a process less imbued with politics.

But Senate Bill 14 clearly made it more so, instead. Under the proposal — which was vetoed by Gov. Linda Lingle — the council would comprise seven members, appointed by the Senate president, House speaker, governor, UH faculty senate, UH student caucus, an association of former regents and the UH alumni association.

The governor would then choose from a list of nominees the council provides.

Some changes under the bill were welcome: The Board of Regents would be expanded from 12 to 15 members, representing diverse geographic areas of the state, and would serve a maximum of two consecutive five-year terms.

However, the makeup of the council is needlessly complicated. Under our state and national constitutions, the executive branch appoints officials and the legislative branch advises and confirms the selections. There seems no rationale, other than a political one, for the Senate president and House speaker to have a role in appointments.

Student, faculty and former regents would have something to contribute to the selection process. But rather than override the veto, the Legislature should consider allowing the governor to appoint the council but requiring her to consult with those constituencies.

Given the friction between the Legislature and the governor's office, this may seem like a long shot. But if this state wants to learn from the experiences in other states, politicizing the selection process is a bad idea.