(INDIANAPOLIS) - A bill introduced in the Indiana State Senate would undo recent changes that gave Gov. Mike Braun full control over appointments to the Indiana University Board of Trustees. Senate Bill 110, filed Dec. 9, 2025, was authored by Republican Sens. Susan Glick and Greg Walker and referred to the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development.
The proposal comes after a provision added to the 2025 state budget granted the governor authority to remove and replace any member of the IU Board of Trustees at any time. That change shifted appointment power entirely to the governor and prompted legal action challenging the move. Under current law, the governor appoints all nine trustees to three-year terms, along with a student trustee who serves a one-year term.
If Senate Bill 110 is approved in its current form, it would establish a new selection process that divides appointment authority. The governor would appoint five trustees to three-year terms and continue to appoint a full-time student trustee. The remaining three seats would be filled through elections by Indiana University alumni, with elected trustees required to be alumni themselves.
The bill outlines an election process in which prospective candidates file their intent with the university librarian by April 1 of an election year. A ballot listing all candidates would then be mailed to alumni between April 1 and June 1. The three candidates receiving the most votes would be elected. In the event of a tie, the librarian would determine the winner by lot, according to the bill's language.
The legislation follows Braun's June 2025 appointment of several new trustees, including W. Quinn Buckner as board chair, attorney James Bopp Jr., attorney Brian Eagle, and sports broadcaster Sage Steele. Lawmakers backing Senate Bill 110 say the measure is intended to restore shared governance and alumni involvement in overseeing one of the state's largest public universities.