After an embarrassing admission scandal last year, state lawmakers have overwhelmingly rejected changing how the governing board at the University of Illinois is put in place.
The House voted 44-69 today for House Bill 4608, which would combine a board of elected and appointed members overseeing the U of I system. The measure needed 60 'yes' votes to pass.
Some lawmakers have tried for years to change back to a system of U of I board members being elected. Since the 1990s, nine board members are picked by the governor.
Gov. Pat Quinn cleared out most of the board last year after a scandal over improper influence in the admissions process that also prompted U of I's top brass to step down.
The new measure, pushed by several Republican lawmakers from east-central Illinois, would have created a new 15-member board with about half of its members elected from districts throughout the state and most of the rest appointed by the alumni association. The governor would be a member who votes only in case of a tie.
Supporters argued taking a more democratic approach to the board and giving alumni a stronger say in the university's direction is the right route.
"We changed it. We've had many problems since then," said Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, of the appointment system. "Hopefully, this will deal with those problems."
But critics said the current system works well when problems develop, as evidenced by Quinn's house-clearing last year.
"The governor dealt with it," said Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie. "We have new trustees.”
State Capitol Bureau
