A bill that would settle the dispute between the governor and the state’s education chief was held Tuesday in the Senate Appropriations Committee, but the measure’s sponsor expects it to be revived.

Sen. Kelli Ward, a Lake Havasu City Republican, said time ran out to write the final language on an amendment to the bill, a strike-all amendment to SB1038.

“I believe there is agreement between the Governor’s Office and (Department of Education) so that language will be added somewhere later,” Ward said in a text message.

The bill is effectively dead in the Senate, but it can be revived in the House as a strike-all amendment. It will require passage in both chambers and the governor’s signature to become law.

The proposal came about after Gov. Doug Ducey reinstated two State Board of Education employees who Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas fired on Feb. 11.

Ducey concluded that Douglas didn’t have the authority to fire the employees, but Douglas didn’t try to stop them from reporting back to work on Feb. 17 even though she stood by her opinion that she had the authority to fire them.

In question was a law that states the superintendent shall “direct the work of all employees of the board who shall be employees of the Department of Education,” and the board shall employ staff “on the recommendation of the superintendent of public instruction.”

The bill as it stands would eliminate the disputed language and would instead authorize the board to “supervise” the duties it prescribes of its employees.

The bill also requires Board of Education members to get reimbursement for travel expenses from the Department of Administration instead of the superintendent, and states that the superintendent shall execute the board’s policies “in cooperation with the staff of the state board.” The bill would also make the superintendent the secretary of the board, as opposed to her current position as its executive officer.

Ward declined to say what the new language will include.