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Senate advances SB224 to make state school-board elections partisan, shifting nomination process
Summary
Senate Bill 224 would move state school-board nominations to a partisan, delegate-based convention model; sponsors argued it boosts turnout and vetting while opponents warned of increased partisanship. The Senate passed the bill and placed it on the third-reading calendar.
Senate Bill 224, introduced by Senator Stevenson, would change the nomination process for state school-board members to a partisan, delegate-based convention system similar to the one used for legislative nominations, replacing the current 12-member nominating committee and governor-selection step.
Stevenson argued that the existing process (12 people compiling nominees and the governor selecting two names) is insufficiently representative and that a convention process involving hundreds of elected delegates would provide better grassroots vetting. He said, “Think of it. 400 people who’ve been elected by their neighbors” and urged returning nomination to a grassroots delegate model.
Opponents, including Senator Jones and Senator Morgan, warned that the partisan convention system can select more extreme candidates and that many qualified education advocates are nonpartisan. Debate focused on voter turnout trade-offs, the risk of introducing partisanship into school governance and whether the change would improve accountability.
On a roll call, the bill passed and will be placed at the bottom of the third-reading calendar for further action.
