Indiana modifies school board bill to include blank space

A Senate bill in Indiana aimed at changing school board races to partisan elections has faced amendments and pushback. On Thursday, the bill was discussed in the House chamber and two proposed changes from Democrats were rejected. Senate Bill 287 would require school board candidates to declare a political party. This includes a process with a primary and general election. Some amendments have already changed the bill, removing the primary process. Now, candidates can choose whether to identify as Republican, Democrat, independent, or nonpartisan. An additional change allows nonpartisan candidates to have a blank space next to their name on the ballot. Representative J.D. Prescott, who supports this amendment, said it was developed with input from the school board association. However, Democratic representatives criticized the bill. Rep. Blake Johnson called it a poorly constructed solution that complicates things. He pointed out that empty spaces on ballots do not add clarity. Rep. Pat Boy proposed allowing candidates to submit a profile about their qualifications without mentioning their political party, but this amendment was also defeated. Other lawmakers argued that making school board elections partisan could discourage potential candidates and divert focus from education to political affiliations. Despite the opposition, Senate Bill 287 is set to move forward for a final vote in the House.