Nonpartisan regents bill resurfaces, advances

A bill to make appointments to the state Board of Regents nonpartisan that was defeated Wednesday by the Senate resurfaced Thursday and won preliminary approval.

HB119 will allow the 18-member board to focus on education because "everything else shouldn't matter," the bill's Senate sponsor, Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, said.

Sen. Karen Hale, D-Salt Lake, however, said the best candidates for openings on the board may be overlooked if political party is no longer a consideration. She said Democrats — the minority party in the state for some time — have "added to the richness" of the board.

Sen. Darin Peterson, R-Nephi, said the board is supposed to be nonpartisan, but "make no mistake, the way it's set up now it's a political body. I want to see less of that."

The Senate voted 16-12-1 to advance the bill to a final vote.