House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

Posted:	January 24, 2013 03:34 PM
From:	Representative Dan Truitt
To:	All House members
Subject:	Non-Partisan Elections of School Boards (Previous House Bill 2512)

School boards play a pivotal role in our education system here in the Commonwealth. It is important we give all individuals an equal opportunity at becoming an elected member of a school board here in Pennsylvania, regardless of party affiliation. In the near future, I will re-introduce legislation with the goal of reducing the level of partisanship in Pennsylvania school boards and school board elections. To summarize, candidates for school board would be able to collect signatures from all registered voters, regardless of party, and primary elections would not be required for school board candidates. Instead, all candidates would be listed on the general election ballot together, in lottery order. Each candidate’s party affiliation would be listed on the ballot under their name to provide voters with some sense of their approach with regard to taxes and spending, but, a straight-ticket vote would not count for any candidate for school board. This would require voters to consciously cast their votes for school board and would level the playing field for unendorsed and independent candidates. Last Session’s bill is attached.
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