INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana lawmakers are one step closer to advancing a contentious bill to the governor’s desk that has been decried by the state’s teachers unions as “unnecessary” and “union-busting.”
The House voted 63-36 Monday — with seven GOP legislators opposed — to send the proposal back to the opposite chamber for final approval. The bill barely passed the Senate earlier this session after facing bipartisan opposition. Rep. Ryan Lauer, R-Columbus, and Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, voted for the bill.
Educators and union leaders maintain that Senate Bill 486 would “silence teachers” by stripping their rights to discuss concerns over student learning with school administrators.
Specifically, the bill would no longer require school administrators to discuss topics like class sizes, curriculum and student discipline with teachers and their union.
Republican lawmakers in favor of the bill have said it’s a “deregulation bill” that will empower administrators and educators. They argued the changes would ensure discussions about working conditions are more open to non-union teachers and are not limited to the 16 topics in state law.
“This bill is all about flexibility for educators in the classroom — at the building level and at the system level,” said Rep. Jake Teshka, R-South Bend, who sponsored the bill. “The goal is to eliminate mandates that are either outdated or unnecessary so that our state’s teachers can focus on educating Hoosier children.”
“As we move more and more into a school choice environment where parents can rightly choose the education environment that works best for their child, there’s less need for us to be so prescriptive in our regulation of traditional public schools,” he continued. “This bill treats educators as the professionals that they are by trusting them to communicate with each other as partners, not adversaries.”
But the Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) has pushed back, saying the bill would further erode teachers’ collective bargaining rights.
The state’s largest teachers union rallied at the Statehouse last week. Among their demands was a call for lawmakers to kill Senate Bill 486 and “stop attacks” on the teaching profession.
Dozens of teachers returned outside the House chamber Monday, chanting and yelling in opposition as lawmakers debated and voted on the bill.
“We have had a union busting effort going on … this body is not dealing with the desires of the community. … We are not walking with the people of these communities,” said Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, speaking Monday on the House floor. “(This bill) is destructive.”
The Indiana Capital Chronicle covers the state legislature and state government. For more, visit indianacapitalchronicle.com.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
