search
Donate

News

The long debated bill overhauling higher education in Ohio heads off to Gov. Mike DeWine

By:
Posted on:

< < Back to

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Senate Bill 1 is one signature away from law and changing higher education in Ohio, after senators voted Wednesday to concur with changes 20-11, advancing it to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk.

A person rises to speak in the Ohio Statehouse in front of other legislators.
[Sarah Donaldson | Statehouse News Bureau]
An overhaul of Ohio’s institutions, SB 1 gets rid of most mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion—colloquially, DEI—training at public universities and colleges, requires so-called “intellectual diversity” on certain subjects, and slashes university trustee terms.
It also bans faculty strikes, mandates their post-tenure performance reviews, and requires a civics course focused on United States history and the free market.
“Let’s end the era of us versus them. Let’s walk forward as Ohioans, as Americans and as neighbors,” Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) said Wednesday.Since February, SB 1 has moved swiftly mostly along partisan lines—although Sens. Bill Blessing (R-Colerain Twp.) and Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) as well as Reps. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison), Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton) and Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) broke with their caucuses.

Its passage came at the protest of Democratic lawmakers and hundreds of opponents, who have turned out in droves to testify and demonstrate against the bill. Ohio Legislative Black Caucus members condemned the bill Wednesday morning during an hour-long news conference, begging DeWine to veto it.“How dare you act like I’m a quota? How dare you act like I’m a DEI hire? I had to do more than to get to even being considered, let alone hired, so let’s be honest about where we are today. This is about control,” Sen. Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati) said Wednesday.

Still, DeWine will likely sign it, he said Friday. “But I always reserve the right to make sure I know exactly what’s in the bill,” DeWine said.

DeWine has two weeks to sign or veto it once it arrives. SB 1 could face a legal challenge, if signed.

Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro said last week he believes it significantly undercuts faculty rights to collective bargaining. When asked Wednesday, Ohio NAACP Vice President Derrick Foward said the Ohio NAACP was “waiting to get direction from our national office.”