A Senate committee Tuesday approved a proposal that would change a residency requirement for school-board candidates.
Under current law, candidates have to live in the districts they are seeking to represent at the time they qualify to run.
The bill (SB 444), approved by the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee, would require candidates to live in the districts at the time they assume office.
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Senate sponsor Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, said the bill would bring the requirement for school-board candidates in line with requirements for people running for other offices.
He said the current school-board residency requirement has created confusion for candidates. But Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach, raised concerns that the bill would lead to people searching “out seats to run for.”
The House Ethics, Elections & Open Government Subcommittee is slated to take up the House version of the bill (HB 411) on Wednesday.
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