06-05-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Once a school board member, Gov. Braun signs law making school board elections partisan
Once a school board member, Gov. Braun signs law making school board elections partisan
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Honored, Mike Braun becomes Governor of Indiana
Chief Justice Loretta Rush swears in Mike Braun as the new Indiana Governor. His wife, Maureen Braun, is at his side.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, who began his political career as a school board member, signed a bill into law on May 6 that will make future school board races partisan elections.
House Enrolled Act 287, which goes into effect July 1, became controversial at points during the 2025 legislative session with Republicans in both chambers joining Democrats in opposing the bill. Fourteen Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting against HEA 287's final passage on April 24, resulting in a narrow 26-24 vote that is rare for the chamber with a GOP supermajority. Some Senate Democrats at the time urged Republicans to contact Braun and ask him to veto the bill.
Throughout the legislative process, opponents of the bill urged caution against further politicizing school boards, especially in the years following the coronavirus pandemic. In Hamilton County's elections in 2024, some conservative school board candidates identified themselves as Republicans and other slates of candidates were backed by conservative political PACs or the Hamilton County Republican Party.
During the session, some Republican lawmakers also urged caution that partisan school board races could weed out candidates that may not want to put a political marker next to their name. House lawmakers made it optional for school board members to disclose their affiliation, not mandatory, when running for office, but some Republicans in the Senate on April 24 still expressed concerns with the bill.
"This bill does a significant disservice for young people," Sen. Eric Bassler, R-Washington, said on April 24. "We should be striving to have the best people run for school board, not eliminating some of the best people running for school board."
But supporters of the bill, including its author, Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, said the move will provide more transparency to voters when they cast their ballots.
"Like it or not, this is something that voters want to know about the candidate," Byrne said.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.
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