|
House Bill 961 |
House Author: Rodriguez, Justin |
|
Effective: Vetoed |
Senate Sponsor: Seliger |
House Bill 961 amends the Education Code to authorize the board of trustees of a certain junior college district, not later than the 180th day before the date of a certain trustee election, to provide by resolution that a candidate must receive a plurality of the votes cast for a position to be filled at the election. The bill makes such a resolution effective for subsequent elections until rescinded by a subsequent resolution.
Governor's Reason for Veto: "It is essential that local voters have full opportunity to determine the junior college district board members who make property tax decisions for these districts. House Bill 961 would have authorized elections for junior college district board seats to be decided by plurality vote without a runoff election. In crowded races, this would result in the election of candidates who received a small percentage of voter support. Those very same crowded races are often the ones where voter interest is highest and dissatisfaction with the incumbent is most acute. Runoff elections ensure that every seat on the board is occupied by someone who received a majority of votes in an election. These elections have important consequences for property owners and for junior colleges. They should not be treated like second-tier elections."