GOP-backed legislation to address concerns conservatives have about higher education isn鈥檛 likely to make it out of the Ohio House before the end of the year.
Although Senate Bill 83 is for Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima), the bill has been on the House side since early summer 2023鈥攁nd Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said he has no plans to push for its movement right now.
鈥淥h, it doesn鈥檛 have the votes,鈥� Stephens said to reporters Tuesday.
SB 83 is scheduled for its second hearing Wednesday morning in the House Higher Education committee.
Among numerous changes to Ohio鈥檚 institutions, the bill bans most mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion training at public colleges, requires so-called 鈥渋ntellectual diversity鈥� on certain subjects, and slashes university trustee terms.
It also prohibits universities from taking public positions on controversial subjects, although they are fine to participate in lobbying, and it includes a ban on institutions鈥� financial partnerships with China, not including tuition from Chinese students. The full legislative text is available .
SB 83 cleared the senate largely along party lines in May, although three Republicans鈥� Sens. Lou Blessing (R-Colerain Township), Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester)鈥攂roke from the caucus and voted against it alongside all the chamber鈥檚 Democrats.
Since then, it鈥檚 also been amended, including by removing a provision that would ban faculty strikes. But that hasn鈥檛 made it more palatable to opponents, or to Stephens.
"It鈥檚 been in committee for, what? Six months, five months, or whatever," he said. 鈥淚t's been a conversation from a lot of people. I think there are a lot of concerns with that bill from both sides of the aisle, frankly.鈥�
The Ohio State University Board of Trustees, college faculty across the state and numerous student organizations have been fierce of the bill.