Education Deregulation Measure Heads to Indiana Governor Despite Warnings

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A second-round education deregulation effort backed by House Republicans advanced to the governor’s desk Friday despite concerns from Democrats that the measure weakens educator protections and professional standards at a moment when Indiana schools are struggling with teacher recruitment and retention.

The House voted 66-29 to concur with Senate changes to House Bill 1004, capping a multi-year effort to strip unused, outdated and conflicting language from Indiana’s education code. The Senate approved the bill Wednesday in a 28-20 vote.

Authored by Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, the bill is part of the House GOP’s broader push to reduce regulatory requirements across state agencies and education systems. Behning has framed the effort as ongoing cleanup, following last year’s repeal of nearly 35,000 words of education statute.

Behning said Friday that concerns raised earlier by school administrators over contract language had been addressed in the final version of the bill.

“There was collaboration between the principals association [and] school boards,” he said.

Behning also pointed to changes affecting school referendums and partnerships with outside providers.

“There was some language taken out dealing with first class mailing specifically on referendums,” Behning said, adding that the bill allows schools to contract with private, for-profit or nonprofit providers for after-school care or preschool services.

But Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, held that the deregulation package goes too far.

“For several years, educators have been coming to us … asking for deregulation, and I supported deregulation. However, this bill went way too far,” Smith said.

He zeroed in on provisions eliminating contract language specifying teacher work hours.

“When you take this provision out, what you’re doing is you’re allowing somebody who wants to be a dictator … to force people to stay as long as they want them to stay,” Smith said.

“We’re having a problem already trying to attract people into the … career of being a teacher. Teachers all over the state have responded saying that they are concerned about this provision,” he continued. “We’re going to look back and we’re going to regret what we did to public education, because every session we destroy a valuable portion of it.”

Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: [email protected].

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