During the last legislative session,the Oregon Senate passed a bill to allow the governor to appoint the state superintendent. Though it failed in the House, Senate President Gene Derfler, a Republican, has reintroduced the legislation this year. The proposal has the support of Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber, and was the focus of a Senate education committee hearing earlier this year. The driving force for the bill is Oregon's increasing reliance on state general revenues, rather than local property taxes, to pay for schools. In 1990, Oregon voters passed Ballot Measure 5, an initiative that sharply limited homeowners' taxes.
Proponents say the bill simply makes fiscal, and political, sense.
Ms. Paulus, in fact, introduced an earlier version of the legislation in the mid-1990s and campaigned for it while on the job. The bill is opposed by the current state superintendent, Stan Bunn. His spokesman, Larry W. Austin, said Mr. Bunn views it as ignoring the public's will. He'll be a good soldier and salute. An elected superintendent will be more responsive to voters.