Bill eliminating election of state superintendent headed to governor
04/18/2017

A bill eliminating the election of the superintendent of public instruction from state law is now on its way to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. HB 1005 would replace the state superintendent with a secretary of education to be appointed by the governor.

The bill passed out of the House on a concurrence vote of 66-31.

The effective start date of the bill is 2025 and would require the appointed secretary of education to be an Indiana resident who holds an advanced degree along with personal or professional leadership success.

The bill was authored by Speaker Brian Bosma (R – Indianapolis), signaling the bill’s priority to the House Republican caucus.

In his closing remarks, Speaker Bosma told legislators that appointing the state’s top education official, “will take education out of politics.”

Gov. Eric Holcomb is expected to sign HB 1005 to appoint a superintendent, which has been a legislative priority for him this session.