The president of the Utah Manufacturers Association was the only member of the public to speak against Senate Bill 155, which would return power to local areas for the selection of state school-board candidates.

“Give the process a chance,” Bingham said of the method that was implemented just last year.

“We haven't given it time to work. It's worked well in [choosing the makeup] of the Wildlife Board.”

Instead, the Senate Education Standing Committee voted 3-2 to move the bill sponsored by Sen. Karen Hale, D-Salt Lake City, to the Senate floor.

Prior to the the 2004 legislative session, individual nominating committees picked candidates for each state-board district.

Then, the governor selected candidates proffered by each committee.

Under a law passed last year, one 12-member committee pares the number of prospective candidates to three for each of the 15 districts in the state.

The law, according to comments made last year by Sen. Tom Hatch, R-Panguitch, assures "more balance on the state school board." That balance, he argued, would be attained by attracting candidates with different backgrounds and philosophies.

Jordan School District Superintendent Barry Newbold - who had served on last year's committee - assailed the new process at Friday's hearing.

“Committee members crossed off names of candidates due to their vocational training rather than their qualifications,” he said.

Last year's change allowed the committee to deny state school-board incumbent Mike Anderson a chance to run for re-election.

Hale's proposal would trim the committee's membership from 12 people to eight - four who represent educational entities and four from business and industry.

“We're always talking about local control,” Hale told her Senate colleagues.

“But that's what's been taken away with the current selection process.”

mcronin@sltrib.com