Senate committee to review bill that would create state oversight board for MSHSAA
Alison Patton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A bill that would create a state oversight board for the Missouri State High School Activities Association is slated to go in front of the fiscal committee Monday before heading to the Senate floor for a third read and vote.
Senate Bill 863 would allow the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to create a board with governor-appointed members to have the final say on appeals.
Sen. Jason Bean (R-Holcomb) told ABC 17 News on Thursday that the bill is intended to give people who file appeals on a referee’s decision, or transfer-student eligibility in high school sports a neutral party, to review the decision.
“There have been decisions made that people felt were wrong,” Bean said. “What people felt like is when they went through the appeals process through MSHSAA, that MSHSAA was making these judgement calls on their officials. So people felt like they didn’t have an independent voice out there.”
The state appeals board would have the final say in an appeal once MSHSAA’s appeals process has been exhausted or if an appeal is made directly to the board.
MSHSAA Executive Director Jennifer Rukstad spoke out against an early version of the bill, which would have given the oversight committee the ability to govern the independent, non-profit agency.
The bill has changed significantly since its introduction, and ABC 17 News reached out to MSHSAA on Sunday for comment, but didn’t immediately hear back.
Bean said the first version of his bill was crafted to get MSHSAA’s attention.
“We came out with a bill that was a little bit more egregious, a little bit more aggressive, and then we toned it down to what we originally intended,” Bean said.
If passed out of committee Monday and given the green light by senators, the bill will then go to the Missouri House of Representatives.
The bill is a legislative priority for Governor Mike Kehoe, who addressed the need for an oversight board during his State of the State Address at the beginning of the legislative session.
“Finally, as we talk about education and student success, we can’t overlook the role athletics and other extracurricular activities play in building leadership, teamwork, and resilience. That is why the organizations overseeing these programs must operate with transparency and accountability, always putting students first,” Kehoe said in his speech.
MSHSAA is also facing a discrimination lawsuit brought on by the state, along with the Department of Justice. A whistleblower in the case, Merlyn Johnson, argued he was denied a position on the board because he was a white male.
The organization argues that the seat Johnson applied for was reserved for a member who would bring diversity to the board of directors, as stated in its official handbook.
“Each of two At-Large positions shall be filled by a candidate representing the under-representedgender of the current Board, or an under-represented ethnicity,” according to the handbook.