Governor-appointed members of state boards in Missouri would have no voting powers until confirmed by the state Senate under a measure proposed by a Cape Girardeau lawmaker.
State Rep. Kathy Swan said she plans to introduce a bill in the 2018 legislative session that would seek voter approval of a constitutional amendment that would prevent future actions such as the that taken earlier this month by the state Board of Education.
The board voted 5-3 to remove Margie Vandeven as Missouri’s education commissioner. The action was orchestrated by Gov. Eric Greitens, who appointed a number of new board members. Those board members cast the deciding votes even though they had not been confirmed by the Missouri Senate.
Swan said board members should not be allowed to vote until they are confirmed. Otherwise, she said there is no point in requiring board members be confirmed by the Senate.
“If that is part of the process (confirmation), we need to follow proper protocol,” the Republican lawmaker said.
Swan and other lawmakers have questioned why Greitens wanted Vandeven removed in the first place.
A vocal supporter of charter schools, Greitens has not cited specific reasons why he wanted the board to replace the commissioner, The Associated Press reported.
But Greitens has said Missouri’s schools need to improve. Greitens called the removal of Vandeven “a major step in the right direction” to improve public education, the AP reported.
Swan’s push for a constitutional amendment has drawn support from state Rep. Rick Francis, R-Perryville.
Francis expressed concern about the political actions of the Republican governor in the firing of Vandeven.
“That is such an ugly mess for education,” said Francis, who had a 33-year career as a teacher and school administrator.
“I think we need to enact a bill limiting the governor’s authority on recess nominees,” he said, referring to Greitens’ appointment of state board members when the Legislature is not in session. The 2018 session begins Wednesday,
If appointees are allowed to vote before they are confirmed, then the confirmation process “becomes just a rubber stamp,” Francis said.
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