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Senate advances proposal to move State Board of Education to gubernatorial appointment, restores board size
Summary
Senators debated SB 195 and companion SJR 5 on changing State Board of Education governance from elected to appointed members; floor adopted an amendment to retain a 15‑member board rather than reducing to nine and voted to advance both measures to third reading and ballot‑proposal consideration.
Senate Bill 195 and companion resolution SJR 5 — proposals to change how Utah’s State Board of Education is selected — advanced on the Senate floor following debate about governance, board size and democratic accountability.
Senator Milner introduced SB 195 and said the bill would allow Utah voters to consider a constitutional amendment (SJR 5) to move the State Board from an elected model to one in which the governor appoints members with Senate confirmation. Milner argued an appointed model, similar to the Board of Regents, would strengthen coordination among the governor, legislature and board on accountability metrics.
Senators raised objections to reductions in board size and other governance details. Senator Harper offered Amendment 1 to retain the existing 15‑member board rather than reducing membership to nine; the amendment passed on the floor with sponsor support. After debate, the Senate voted to read SB 195 for a third time (23 yeas, 4 nays, 2 absent). SJR 5 was also called and read for a third time with a reported 25 yeas, 3 no and 1 absent.
Next steps: Passage to the third‑reading calendar advances SB 195 and SJR 5 in the legislative process; if SJR 5 proceeds, it would place a constitutional question before voters. The measures will continue through the House and scheduling processes.
