Gov. Mike DeWine wasted no time in signing a bill that conservatives say will crack down on what they feel is liberal indoctrination in public universities.
would ban most mandatory diversity programs and faculty strikes. It would also shorten trustee terms and require so-called 鈥渋ntellectual diversity鈥� on certain subjects as well as a civics course focused on United States history and the free market.
The Senate approved House changes and sent the bill to DeWine on Wednesday, the day DeWine told the that he was reviewing it.
鈥淚 was going through different parts of the bill and I made it clear I'll probably sign the bill, but I want to go through this bill again and take a look at it," DeWine said, adding that he feels critical thinking is important in education. "That means that there will be diverse points of view expressed in a classroom, over the lunch table. And I think those are things that absolutely must be encouraged. One of the goals of this bill is to make sure that we do everything that we can so that a student feels free to express their point of view, whether that be in a classroom or whether that be someplace else on campus."
Student and faculty organizations had come out in force against the bill, beginning a series of Statehouse protests starting with in January. Hundreds offered testimony against the bill in person or with written comments.
Unions are also , and viewing it as the most significant attack on collective bargaining since Senate Bill 5 in 2011. That law attempted to restrict collective bargaining rights of public sector unions, including police and teachers. Union groups brought it to the ballot, where nearly two-thirds of voters approved its repeal.
A press release from DeWine鈥檚 office featured a photo of him showing the signed bill. Behind him are Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and Reps. Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.), along with Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, the former president of Youngstown State. Cirino sponsored the bill, a reintroduction after his last year. Young chaired the House committee that heard the bill, and Williams spoke for it on the House floor. Huffman had supported SB 83 when he was president of the Senate last year, and had identified it as a priority for this session.
Cirino issued a lengthy press release that listed "true" and "false" things the bill will or won't do. He added: "I sincerely believe all of these changes will help propel Ohio academia into a golden age. I am gratified beyond words to see this legislation become law. And I am so grateful to everyone whose commitment to this purpose made it become a reality."
House Democrats reshared a letter they'd sent to DeWine urging him to veto the bill along with a statement blasting the bill and his decision to sign it.
鈥淭he governor now has to live with the consequences that will haunt his legacy because signing SB 1 into law begins the inevitable destruction of Ohio鈥檚 cherished higher education system by legalizing state-sponsored censorship and discrimination, it will damage our economy and future by making Ohio an extremely undesirable place to learn and work, and it radically undermines the collective bargaining rights of workers,鈥� Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) wrote. 鈥淚t鈥檚 Republican policies exactly like this that are ripping people off and failing to address the issues that matter most to working families.鈥�
