Any last hopes for legislation to improve the governance of public education in North Carolina were dashed earlier this afternoon when the Senate Judiciary Committee gutted HB 823 and morphed the bill into a constitutional amendment on term limits for legislative leadership. Under the legislation, the House Speaker and the President of the Senate would be limited to four 2-year terms. The Constitutional amendment is expected to be placed on the November 2012 ballot.
HB 823 was introduced by Rep. Brian Holloway (R-Stokes). It passed the House earlier this year. The bill was designed to strengthen the authority and responsibility of the State Superintendent and allow law makers to appoint members to the State Board of Education. Republican law makers who opposed the legislation felt –while HB 823 did some good things — the bill gave the governor too much power over education policy.
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