Friday, March 28, 2008

Beshear fails to make Board of Education appointments on time

The terms of four members of the Kentucky Board of Education are scheduled to expire on April 14th. But now, it may be too late to get new members confirmed by then.

This from KyPolitics:

It appears that the Kentucky Board of Education has become the newest victim of Governor Steve Beshear's single-minded focus on the legalization of casino gambling in the Commonwealth. Beshear has failed to make timely appointments to the four positions on the board that have terms expiring in 2008, and now lacks the ability to have any late appointments confirmed in the General Assembly that is now in regular session.

Four members of the Board have terms that expire on April 14, 2008. Those members are David Webb of Edmonson County, Jana Vice of Madison County, David Rhodes of Montgomery County, and Bonnie Lash Freeman of Jefferson County. These members serve as at-large members on the Board, and they were appointed by former Governor Ernie Fletcher on January 30, 2004. Each of the current members were confirmed during the 2004 regular session of the General Assembly by both the House and Senate.

Unlike Fletcher, who appointed Board members during the second month of his term, Beshear has yet to name any appointees.

And, unlike other board appointees that require General Assembly confirmation but can take office during the interim, the Kentucky Board of Education statutes require that Board members be confirmed prospective (sic) to their taking office. Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 156.029, which governs the membership and functions of the Kentucky Board of Education, states:

Each appointment by the Governor shall be agreed upon by both chambers in order for the person to be confirmed. Each confirmed appointee shall take office on April 15...

...In the event that the General Assembly is not in session at the time of the appointment, the consent of the Senate and the House of Representatives shall be obtained during the time the General Assembly next convenes...

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