INDIANAPOLIS | Glenda Ritz no longer would be chairwoman of the Indiana State Board of Education, and the board members who've tangled with her would be replaced under legislation approved 33-17 on Tuesday by the Indiana Senate.
State Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, said his Senate Bill 1, which now goes to the House, isn't an attack on the Democratic state superintendent of public instruction, but instead is the Legislature appropriately acting to fix the dysfunctional state school board.
"The optics of this might look undesirable to us, but you know in the positions of leadership that we were elected to fill sometimes you have to make the hard call," Holdman said. "Sometimes you have to do the right thing for the benefit of our kids, for the benefit of our teachers, for the benefit of our parents and for the benefit of our state."
Under the plan, the current 11-member board would shrink to nine members, including Ritz, who would elect their own leader, instead of Ritz claiming the position automatically by law.
Four members of the new board would be appointed by Republican Gov. Mike Pence and two each by the Republican leaders of the Indiana House and Senate. Half the appointees must have school work experience and two of the legislative appointees must be Democrats.
"We are exercising our responsibility as the legislative branch of a three-branch system to take control back on behalf of the children of this state and the teachers of this state to restore the governance structure of a system that isn't working," said state Sen. Brandt Hershman, R-Buck Creek.
Senate Democrats protested the measure reduces the authority of Ritz's position midway through the four-year term Hoosiers elected her to serve, and unfairly punishes her for the antics and diversions propagated by the 10 board members Pence appointed.
"It's very dangerous that we take somebody's power away from them," said Democratic Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson. "I've heard it said that it's just a little piece of that person's power. Well, it doesn't matter -- you're still changing the rules in the middle of the game."
Seven Republicans, none from Northwest Indiana, joined the 10 Senate Democrats in voting against the proposal.
Last week, the House voted 58-40 for House Bill 1609, which similarly removes Ritz as board chairwoman but does not change the makeup of the board.
Pence told reporters today he prefers that proposal and is "not enthusiastic" about the Senate measure because it takes away his power to appoint 10 of 11 state school board members.