Former State Rep. Chuck Basye eyes Columbia School Board position
Former State Rep. Chuck Basye, of Rocheport, who could not run for office again due to term limits, has set his eyes on a different leadership position: the Columbia Public Schools Board.
He said he attempted to file his candidate paperwork Tuesday but posted online that he was not let "in the Aslin Administration Building to complete the necessary paperwork."
While the filing period was Dec. 2 through Dec. 27, the district office was closed Tuesday due to the winter holiday. Bayse wrote on social media that he instead filed through the Boone County Clerk’s office before the 5 p.m. deadline.
According to a CPS spokesperson, the holiday hours and filing information were posted on the front doors of the Aslin Building and posted publicly on the CPS website. Candidate filing was available by appointment and those appointments had to be made by Dec. 22. According to CPS, Basye did not schedule an appointment by that time.
"Mr. Basye did not set an appointment by the deadline as outlined in the publicly posted filing procedures," CPS Spokesperson Michelle Baumstark wrote in an email to the Tribune. "Also, note that while we are looking in to whether or not Mr. Basye’s attempt to file is legal, filing isn't candidate certification. Candidates must be certified in order to appear on the ballot. There are multiple steps required for a candidate to be certified, including filing appropriate documentation with the Missouri Ethics Commission. Legally filing to be a candidate with the school district is the first step in the process."
All filings had to be done by appointment based on district rules posted online. The final chance to schedule one was by 4 p.m. Dec. 22. According to other statements by district officials, Basye never scheduled an appointment, so no one was at the office on Tuesday.
Basye in his last two years in office became known for filing or adding amendments to bills aimed at barring transgender athletes from participating in sports. These all failed to reach Gov. Mike Parson's desk. Basye was lambasted by out Rep. Ian Mackey, D-St. Louis, for an amendment Basye made to an election law bill earlier this year, to which Basye put in the anti-trans athlete amendment.
Bayse had not yet posted an update Thursday morning whether this was accepted by the district. He also sought guidance from the Attorney General and Secretary of State offices.
"The Board of Education must also authorize a notice of election and the sample ballot before candidates are officially placed on a ballot," Baumstark wrote to the Tribune. "The Board must do this by the end of January as required by law. The Board doesn't plan to do this until its regularly scheduled meeting on January 9."
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Chuck Basye wants to sit on Columbia School Board
