INDIANAPOLIS — Partisan school board elections are back on the table at the Indiana Statehouse.
The Senate Elections Committee is considering a bill that would require school board candidates to pick a party affiliation.
The current language of HB1182 says "each candidate's affiliation with a political party or status as an independent candidate must be stated on the ballot."
Right now, school board races are nonpartisan, but supporters say seeing affiliation on the ballot would promote transparency and give voters a better understanding of a candidate's values.
Elizabeth Bixler, the mother of a school board member, disagreed.
"Partisanship positions create division. Knowing an individual's party does not let you know the individual," said Bixler.
If the bill is passed, it would bar federal workers and military members from seeking school board seats. Lawmakers have proposed other related measures in the past, but none have gained traction.
The committee plans to vote on the matter at a later date.