LINCOLN- Four legislative proposals were heard in the Legislature's Education Committee on Tuesday aimed at curbing the powers of the Nebraska State Board of Education, but defenders of the Board showed up in droves. Legislative resolution 24CA, perhaps the most strict of the proposals, would eliminate entirely the Board of Education and instead allow the governor to choose an education commissioner.

When asked by Sen. Danielle Conrad whether or not the recent attempt by the Board to adopt optional health and sex education standards in K-12 schools was a motivator for the introduction of LR24CA, Sen. Albrecht, who introduced the resolution, said, "I would say that was definitely a motivator. I don't know that they might not take it up again."

Conrad then stated that she considered the resolution an overreaction to the Board's action, and insisted that lawmakers should not change the governance structure of K-12 education over a withdrawn idea that conservatives organized against and beat. "I don' think this is a measured response," said Conrad, "The proposals were meant to bring different sorts of accountability to the State Board, but they won."

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