Senate passes bill allowing board to replace Ritz as leader

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Democratic State Superintendent Glenda Ritz could lose control of the State Board of Education under a measure passed by the Republican-dominated Senate Tuesday.

Senate members voted 33-17 to approve the proposal, which would allow board members to elect their own chairman, and most likely oust Ritz. Until now, Indiana law automatically gave the chairmanship to the voter-elected superintendent of public instruction.

Republican Gov. Mike Pence now appoints all 10 other board members. The Senate proposal would shrink the board to nine members comprised of the superintendent, four gubernatorial appointees and one appointee each for the Republican and Democratic leaders of both the House and Senate.

Pence told reporters he was "not enthusiastic" about changing the appointment system for the board, but declined to elaborate.

The legislation was prompted by well-known friction between Ritz and Republican board members, who have frequently argued over control of education policy during the past two years.

Bill sponsor Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, said he believed reducing the board's size and allowing it to select its own chairman would help fix what many have referred to as a "dysfunctional education board."

Opponents of the measure said the disputes are caused by Pence appointees who want control over programs on teacher evaluation, private school vouchers and the state takeover of poorly performing schools.

Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, said the bill is a power grab over "high-stakes policy decisions" and Republicans are using the board's conflict as a scapegoat.

"This dysfunction is manufactured," he said. "One person's dysfunction is another person's passionate debate."

Lanane also said reducing an elected position to "its lowest denominator" would undermine the 1.3 million voters who elected Ritz in 2012.

The GOP-controlled House approved a similar bill last week, but the version would not require a restructuring of the board. Lawmakers will have to work out a common version by the end of the legislative session in late April.