In a unanimous display of bipartisan common sense, the North Dakota Senate Education Committee and the full Senate rejected a proposal that would have allowed voters to decide if education oversight should be managed by a single, huge bureaucracy. House Concurrent Resolution 3046 was the work of House Majority Leader Rep. Al Carlson, R-Fargo. It had more to do with the House majority's penchant for arbitrary power-grabbing than with serious reform of public education.
It is gratifying, therefore, that a Republican-dominated Senate committee (five Republicans, two Democrats) and Senate saw through Carlson's stunt and went first with the strongest possible do-not-pass recommendation, and then overwhelming rejection by the full Senate. The vote was 7-40.
In making their recommendation, committee members conceded that there are problems in K-12 and higher education that must be addressed. But they recognized that consolidation of all public education management in one bureaucracy is a flawed solution. Sen. Joan Heckaman, D-New Rockford, emphasized the significant differences between local public schools and the state's college campuses. She said the systems have unique needs and should stay independent. She's exactly right.
Sen. Tim Flakoll, R-Fargo, said taking away the right to vote for the state superintendent of public instruction would be a mistake. He suggested the resolution's provision to select members of an oversight council would be less open. He's right.
Taking that concern a step further, Carlson's proposal had the potential to expose public education - especially the universities - to the kind of political meddling that damaged higher education in the past. The majority leader's 2011 legislative theme has been an attempt to micromanage and/or undermine the work of nearly every state agency, particularly the state Board of Higher Education.
ADVERTISEMENT
The House had earlier passed the education measure. The Senate's decisive turndown of the majority leader's resolution was a proper spanking.
Among the smarter heads prevailing in the Senate: Sen. Gary Lee, R-Casselton, in particular, correctly characterized Carlson's resolution as carrying a muddled message to voters. Underscoring legislators' responsibility to be clear when they send measures to voters, Lee said lawmakers should understand what a measure intends to do. "This resolution," he said, "is fraught with problems."
That's leadership. It's taking legislative responsibility seriously, and not merely tossing every difficult decision or complex issue to voters.
The full Senate did North Dakotans a service by following the Education Committee's lead in scuttling House Concurrent Resolution 3046.
Forum editorials represent the opinion of Forum management and the newspaper's Editorial Board.
