The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation in early April 2007 to change the method of selecting school board members in Anne Arundel County. The new method creates an 11 member Nominating Commission to nominate two individuals to serve on the School Board. The Governor then chooses from among those two the person who will be appointed to the School Board. Of the 11 members of the Nominating Commission, five are chosen by the Governor, one by the County Executive, and five by unelected private groups including the Chamber of Commerce, the PTA, the teachers' association, the principals' association, and the Community College.

Senators Greenip (District 33) and Simonaire (District 31) are now distributing a petition to put the school board reform legislation on the ballot in 2008. If the Petition got the required number of signatures, registered voters would have the opportunity to vote for or against the school board reform legislation passed by the General Assembly. To put the issue on the ballot, the Petition needs 10,000 valid signatures by May 20 and another 9,000 by June 20.

Should the public be given the opportunity to vote on this issue? Would you encourage others to sign the Petition? (Only registered voters are legally eligible to sign the Petition.)