August 19, 2018

To the Honorable Members of

The Illinois House of Representatives,

100th General Assembly:

Today I veto House Bill 4284 from the 100^th 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