One might think that allowing voters to decide who serves on the NC State Board of Education would be good and democratic.

As of right now members are appointed to represent different parts of the state (as well as those Council of State members automatically included on the state board.

But while voters might get to elect those people under this new proposal, the lines that define the different regions can always be changed by those who are in power on West Jones Street.

Those could be renamed, redrawn, and redistributed. They could GERRYMANDER the districts.

If this does get passed and become law and the districts for the NC SBOE are redrawn, they could get challenged in the court system, but there’s another catch there: the same party that wants this new arrangement also controls the State Supreme Court. In fact, Sen. Phil Berger’s son, Phil Berger, Jr. is one of the judges on that collective bench.

One more thing – This bill to have NC SBOE members be elected is part of a bigger power grab. From the News & Observer article referenced above:

That would put Catherine Truitt as the NC State Board of Education Chairperson.

And Truitt doesn’t really answer to the people; she answers to the powers that be in the NC General Assembly – the ones who want this arrangement described in HB17.