We believe the bill to move school board and other local elections is an attempt to politicize them. Party precinct committee members should not choose school board members, they should not be elected in November and take office in the middle of the academic and fiscal year, and there is no reason to eliminate Option C for school board elections. We also believe that if this bill passes, it will later be amended to put back the explicitly partisan provisions that have been removed for now. This bill already passed the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee, so now it’s time to contact your local senator. If you don’t know who represents (or should be representing) you in the senate, you can click here: http://openkansas.org./ The new bill number is S Sub HB 2141. It was a “gut and go”. You can also contact Senate Leadership, President Susan Wagle, Vice-President Jeff King, Majority Leader Terry Bruce, Assistant Majority Leader Julia Lynn and Assistant Majority Whip Garrett Love and ask them not to run the bill: Susan.Wagle@senate.ks.gov, Jeff.King@senate.ks.gov, Terry.Bruce@senate.ks.gov, Julia.Lynn@senate.ks.gov and Garrett.Love@senate.ks.gov.

Here’s a recent article about the bill: http://cjonline.com/news/2014-03-16/school-board-members-oppose-push-overhaul-elections