August
19, 2018
To
the Honorable Members of
The
Illinois House of Representatives,
100th
General Assembly:
Today I veto House Bill 4284 from the 100th
General Assembly, which unnecessarily prescribes appointment requirements for the
State Board of Education.
The legislation dictates that three members of the State
Board of Education must represent the educator community. However, there has
historically been an abundance of educator experience on the board. Currently,
there are four board members with education experience including a former
superintendent, a former assistant superintendent with experience as a teacher
and principal, a former teacher, and a former principal. At a time when there
is such a wealth of education experience and expertise, there is no need to
impose new restrictions on the composition of the State Board of Education.
Nationally, there is no precedent for this type of
legislative oversight in board appointments. Out of the 38 states with
Governor-appointed State Boards of Education, only five states require specific
mandates for Board composition. Thus, this legislation would not only erode the
Executive Branch’s appointment power, and it would put Illinois at odds with
national best practice.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the
Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bill 4284, entitled “AN
ACT concerning education”, with the forgoing objections, vetoed in its
entirety.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner