By Dan Bammes
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kuer/local-kuer-903660.mp3
Salt Lake City, UT – Utah law was changed a few years ago to allow the governor to nominate candidates for the state school board. He picks who will be on the ballot based on the recommendations of a special committee he appoints for that purpose. Last week, an incumbent member of the state school board found that his name had been left out of the committee's recommendations, meaning he won't be on the ballot even as an incumbent.
Denis Morrill has been elected to the state board three times from District 9 on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley. He spoke to KUER's Dan Bammes last week.
Howard Stephenson is a Republican state senator from Draper. He's been a vocal supporter of the current system for nominating candidates for the state school board candidates in Utah, though he says he wasn't involved in the decision not to send Morrill's name to the governor as a candidate for re-election.
Stephenson feels the best answer, ultimately, is partisan elections for the state school board, taking the decision of who will be on the ballot away from the governor and his nominating committee.