Senate votes down plan to make Superintendent of Public Instruction an appointed position

One of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s top legislative priorities failed in the Indiana Senate on Monday, when the Senate shot down attempts to make the Superintendent of Public Instruction an appointed position by a 23-26 vote.

The legislation had been supported by all Republican leadership. Gov. Holcomb led the charge for the switch from election to appointment, House Speaker Brian Bosma was the author of similar legislation in the House and Senate leader David Long spoke in favor of the legislation during Senate debate.

"I firmly believe that making the state superintendent of public instruction an appointed position is a long-overdue, widely-supported and common-sense change that will benefit students, educators and our state in the future — and it’s a change I will continue to support," Holcomb said in a statement following the vote.

Across the hall, House lawmakers passed similar legislation by a 68-29 vote. Despite the passage, the future of that bill is in question because of the Senate’s vote. 

The Senate has a rule that when a bill dies or is defeated, bills with “that exact language or substantially similar language shall be considered decisively defeated and shall not be considered again during the session.”

A spokesperson for Long said they were looking into whether they could still vote on House Bill 1005 when it arrives in the Senate, since the content is similar. Bosma was questioned before the passage of House Bill 1005 by lawmakers as well as prior to the vote and said it was yet to be determined, but the two chambers have disagreed in the past.

"I am aware however that both chambers have passed important legislation that the other chamber has decisively defeated, and somehow, some way, in the final recipe … that becomes state policy in such occasion, some of those items come back together," Bosma said. 

For years, governors have called for this change in how the superintendent is chosen. However, Long attributed the birth of these sets of bills to the conflict between former Republic Gov. Mike Pence and former Democrat Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz. 

"Depending on your perspective, you can point your fingers at who to blame. Having had a front-row seat, they both (were)," Long said. "They both struggled in that relationship. I do believe in the end, the state of Indiana and our kids and the schools are better off if we make sure that doesn’t happen again."

If House Bill 1005 passes, the change wouldn't take place until after current schools chief Jennifer McCormick’s current term. 

Those who opposed Senate Bill 179 worried about the lack of qualifications required by the legislation, as well as taking away power from the people. Both were problems brought up in the House as well. 

"The state superintendent role is probably the only single-issue position that statewide voters can have an election on," Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Merrilville, said. "...This will take away another opportunity for voters to participate in the process."

The House also voted Monday to replace ISTEP with Indiana's Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) by spring 2019. Lawmakers said the test will be shorter, given later in the year and Hoosier educators will be more involved in the process.