By Emily Ketterer
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS — House Republicans voted down amendments authored by Democrats that would have called for the election of the state Board of Education and would have required that the soon-to-be-appointed superintendent of public instruction have education experience.

Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, proposed the two amendments to House Bill 1005, authored by House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis. The bill, as it stands, makes the state superintendent of public instruction an appointed position by the governor beginning in January 2021.

Smith argued that appointing both the superintendent and the board of education takes away the people’s voice. With the amendment to elect school board members, districts around the state would have representation, he said.

“The more we cut out the involvement of our citizens, for whom we serve … the less pure form government democracy we have,” Smith said.

Bosma asked House lawmakers to reject the amendment because it is a complete disconnect from the Indiana Constitution. He said the constitution places the responsibility of education policymaking in the hands of the General Assembly, which he noted every Hoosier elects.

“It becomes a partisan election state-wide in some cases, district-wide in others, and just becomes really, I think, a fiasco,” Bosma said.

Ed Delaney, D-Indianapolis, who also authored the amendment and filed a bill to eliminate the state board, said education is in a state of confusion, mostly because of the General Assembly.

“If we can’t get rid of it, we should elect it,” Delaney said.

The amendment was voted down in a 33-66 roll call vote.

The second amendment authored by Smith would have required that the superintendent of public instruction have at least five years of education experience.

Bosma said the requirement could leave out remarkable people who might be right for the job. He used former Indiana governor Mitch Daniels as an example of someone who has no educational background but is performing well as president of Purdue University, he said.

“Why should we handcuff a Republican or a Democrat governor from having the opportunity to select a leader?” Bosma said. “That’s precisely what this does.”

The amendment failed in a 29-67 roll call vote.

Emily Ketterer is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.