The bill that Republicans say will stop liberal indoctrination in universities is now the first piece of legislation approved by the Senate this session. Senate Bill 1 will ban most diversity programs and faculty strikes, and requires post-tenure performance reviews, a civics course focused on American history and free market capitalism and "intellectual diversity" in discussion of issues the bill describes as controversial. It passed on a mostly party line vote a day after hundreds of opponents testified for more than eight hours against it.
A handful of student protestors were in the Senate chamber for the vote and loudly protested after the vote on the bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), who had also brought it forward in the last session.
“This bill needs to become law because the people of Ohio need to see these changes and believe that we are monitoring the performance of the institutions to which we appropriate billions of dollars," Cirino said. "With our five civic centers now in place and being executed and the passage of this bill, Ohio will lead the nation in higher education reform."
Cirino co-sponsored the creation of the five "independent academic centers" focused on constitutional research and civic thought at Ohio State University, the University of Toledo, Miami University, Cleveland State University and the University of Cincinnati. They were funded with $24 million in the state budget, and lawmakers play key roles in approving the leadership of these centers.
Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus), whose district includes Ohio State, said Senate Bill 1 is an anti-union, anti-free speech bill that will kill higher education in Ohio.
“It also shows the majority party's inability to defend its ideas in the marketplace of ideas unless it can control the entire market," DeMora said. "This bill represents a coordinated, nationwide attack on public colleges and universities, starting with an assault on workplace protections for faculty members.”
Sen. Beth Liston (D-Dublin) said many Republican lawmakers graduated from public universities in Ohio, and no conservative has come forward to complain about indoctrination.
“You guys have a supermajority and hold all statewide offices. Conservatives in Ohio are not being indoctrinated by universities. Are you truly so afraid that educating people will cause them to disagree with you?” Liston said.
But Sen. Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware) said DEI policies have divided students and forced them to self-censor.
"Merit-based success is dismissed under DEI as privilege, leading to resentment from those who feel unfairly excluded due to DEI-driven policies," said Brenner, echoing a sentiment many Republicans have shared. “This bill is a step in the right direction to help all students and colleges to bring them all together so that we have a society that is growing intellectually—it is growing from diversity of thought and freedom."
Sens. Bill Blessing (R-Colerain Twp.) and Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) joined all nine Senate Democrats in voting against the bill.
Senate Bill 1 had passed out of the Senate Higher Education Committee earlier in the day, less than 12 hours after a marathon hearing that stretched late into Tuesday night. Hundreds of opponents testified in person and in writing. A few dozen were also at the Wednesday morning vote, wearing what they described as "funeral black" in protest.
