An amendment by Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City, recast the legislation. He is shown speaking in committee on Wednesday, March 5. Photo by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle.

By Leslie Bonilla Muñiz
Indiana Capital Chronicle

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana House Republicans on Wednesday, March 12 ditched the Senate’s take on partisan school board legislation, instead reviving their own dead language. It advanced from committee on an 8-5 vote.

The committee also heard testimony on a measure striking college student I.D. cards from use in voting. Senate Bill 10 is expected to get edits and a committee vote next week.

Senate Bill 287 would’ve required school board candidates to run in primary elections. It stood in contrast to House Bill 1230, which would’ve required a partisan designation only in the general election — but the House killed it last month ahead of a legislative deadline.

Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City, brought a detailed amendment resurrecting his legislation.

“It gets rid of the primary process … and moves it to just a general election designation where a school board candidate could choose either a (label of) Republican, Democrat, independent, or they would have the option of being nonpartisan,” Prescott said.

The amendment also specifies straight-ticket voting wouldn’t apply to school board races because each party could have multiple candidates in the running. It keeps a school board pay raise provision, however.

Asked why he’d insert language that didn’t get past the House, Prescott told the committee, “The Senate (had) already moved Senate Bill 287 so we just made a decision just to consolidate to one bill. This language has been in negotiations with the (Indiana) School Boards Association and others, and this is the best route as of right now.”

His amendment was adopted in an 8-4 vote.

Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City, offered her own unsuccessful amendment stripping much of the proposal in favor of witness-suggested changes.

During a hearing last week, some Hoosiers complained that school board races are already partisan, external forces are using money to interfere in races, and candidate information is hard to find. That prompted another witness to propose putting candidate details on school websites and banning partisan indicators on campaign materials.

Boy’s amendment would’ve let candidates on the general election ballot submit “profiles” to their intended school corporations for online viewing. Candidates would’ve had to explain their qualifications — besides just age and length of residency — without using partisan identifiers.

It also would’ve limited political contributions, required disclaimers on paid-for campaign materials and banned partisan references on materials.

It failed on a 4-9 vote after committee Republicans expressed concerns about free speech.

Several years’ worth of attempts to make school boards partisan have failed.