Mike Pence: Difference between revisions

| 2005–2007: Chair of the [[Republican Study Committee]]}}

| website = {{URL|https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/|Official website}}

| office3 = Member of the<br/>[[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]]<br/>from [[Indiana]]

| term_end3 = January 3, 2013

}}

{{Mike Pence series}}

 

Born and raised in [[Columbus, Indiana]], Pence graduated from [[Hanover College]] and then from the [[Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law]] before entering private practice. He lost two House bids in 1988 and 1990 and was a conservative radio and television talk show host from 1994 to 1999. After being elected to the House in 2000, Pence represented Indiana's {{ushr|IN|2|2nd district|}} from 2001 to 2003 and {{ushr|IN|6|6th district}} from 2003 to 2013. He chaired the [[Republican Study Committee]] from 2005 to 2007 and [[House Republican Conference]] from 2009 to 2011. He was [[2012 Indiana gubernatorial election|elected governor]] of Indiana in 2012.

In 2015, Pence secured significant increases in charter-school funding from the legislation, although he did not get everything he had proposed.<ref name="ElliottChalkbeat"/> Legislation signed into law by Pence in 2013 greatly increased the number of students in Indiana who qualify for school vouchers, making it one of the largest voucher programs in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ibj.com/articles/41267-pence-signs-indiana-voucher-expansion-bill |title=Pence signs Indiana voucher expansion bill |agency=Associated Press |date=May 9, 2013 |access-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024143846/https://www.ibj.com/articles/41267-pence-signs-indiana-voucher-expansion-bill |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Carden |url=http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/pence-signs-law-expanding-school-voucher-eligibility/article_03841210-1ef2-5b47-ae7b-f7a0a1f4252f.html |title=Pence signs law expanding school voucher eligibility |work=Times of Northwest Indiana |date=May 9, 2013 |access-date=September 30, 2024 |archive-date=October 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029041749/https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/pence-signs-law-expanding-school-voucher-eligibility/article_03841210-1ef2-5b47-ae7b-f7a0a1f4252f.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WeddleMcInernyEd">{{cite news |first1=Eric |last1=Weddle |first2=Claire |last2=McInerny |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/07/20/486654015/what-did-pence-do-for-schools-as-governor-heres-a-look |title=What Did Mike Pence Do For Indiana Schools As Governor? Here's a Look |work=[[NPR]] |date=July 20, 2016 |access-date=April 4, 2018 |archive-date=October 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022070121/https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/07/20/486654015/what-did-pence-do-for-schools-as-governor-heres-a-look |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="SchneiderCookVouchers">{{cite news |first1=Chelsea |last1=Schneider |first2=Tony |last2=Cook |url=http://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2016/07/18/report-private-school-vouchers-cost-state-53-million/87254558/ |title=Are vouchers costing or saving taxpayer dollars? |work=[[The Indianapolis Star]] |date=July 18, 2016 |access-date=September 30, 2024 |archive-date=November 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113021111/https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2016/07/18/report-private-school-vouchers-cost-state-53-million/87254558/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The annual cost of the program was estimated to be $53{{spaces}}million for the 2015–2016 school year.<ref name="WeddleMcInernyEd"/><ref name="SchneiderCookVouchers"/>

 

 

Despite successful advocacy for more funding for pre-schools, [[School voucher|voucher programs]], and [[charter school]]s, Pence has frequently clashed with teachers unions and supporters of [[State school#United States|public schooling]].<ref name="KleinEdWeek"/><ref name="ElliottChalkbeat"/> In one of his first acts as governor, Pence removed control of the Educational Employment Relations Board, which was in charge of handling conflicts between unions and [[List of school districts in Indiana|school boards]], from [[Glenda Ritz]], a Democrat who was the [[Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction|Indiana superintendent of public instruction]] (a separately elected position in the state).<ref name=educationdive>{{Cite web |url=http://www.educationdive.com/news/republican-backed-bill-would-shift-power-from-indiana-ed-chief/358572/ |first=Allie |last=Gross |title=Republican-backed bill would shift power from Indiana ed chief |work=educationdive.com |date=January 30, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2016 |archive-date=October 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029075916/https://www.educationdive.com/news/republican-backed-bill-would-shift-power-from-indiana-ed-chief/358572/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Pence created a new "Center for Education and Career Innovation" (CECI) to coordinate efforts between schools and the private sector; Ritz opposed the center, viewing it as a "power grab" and encroachment on her own duties. Pence eventually disestablished the center in order to help defuse the conflict.<ref name="KleinEdWeek"/><ref name="ElliottChalkbeat"/> In May 2015, Pence signed a bill stripping Ritz of much of her authority over [[standardized testing]] and other education issues, and reconstituting the State Board of Education dominated by Pence appointees.<ref name="PenceRitzBattle">{{cite news |first=Tom |last=LoBianco |url=http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2015/05/07/pence-signs-bill-stripping-ritz-education-authority/70966236/ |title=Pence signs bill stripping Ritz of education authority |agency=Associated Press |date=May 7, 2015 |access-date=September 30, 2024 |archive-date=November 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125031806/https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2015/05/07/pence-signs-bill-stripping-ritz-education-authority/70966236/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The bill also allowed the board to appoint a chairman other than the Superintendent of Public Instruction starting in 2017, and added the State Board of Education (controlled by Pence) as a "state educational authority" along with the Department of Education (controlled by Ritz) for purposes of accessing sensitive student data.<ref name="PenceRitzBattle"/> Pence and Ritz also clashed over non-binding federal guidelines that advised Indiana public schools must treat transgender students in a way that corresponds to their [[gender identity]], even if their education files indicate a different gender.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.ibj.com/articles/58599-bathroom-guidelines-for-transgender-students-leave-pence-ritz-at-odds |title=Bathroom guidelines for transgender students leave Pence, Ritz at odds |work=[[Indianapolis Business Journal]] |date=May 14, 2016 |access-date=November 20, 2021 |archive-date=November 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116180840/https://www.ibj.com/articles/58599-bathroom-guidelines-for-transgender-students-leave-pence-ritz-at-odds |url-status=dead }}</ref>