Ohio Higher Education Bill Aims to Take Controversial Beliefs out of Classrooms
Source: https://www.msn.com/
A controversial bill aimed at addressing perceived liberal bias on Ohio’s college campuses is one step closer to becoming law. The Ohio House Higher Education Committee voted 8-7 on Wednesday to advance Senate Bill 83, which includes provisions on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, campus speech policies, American history education, teacher evaluations for bias, and collaboration with Chinese scholars at public universities. The bill, which draws on language from conservative model legislation, would apply only to public universities.
The Ohio House Higher Education Committee voted 8-7 to advance Senate Bill 83, with all “yes” votes from Republicans, though two Republican committee members, Reps. Justin Pizzulli and Gail Pavliga, joined Democrats in voting “no.” The bill, a priority for the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate, is now one step away from a full House vote, but its passage is uncertain due to divisions within the Republican majority.
House Speaker Jason Stephens recently indicated that the bill lacks enough support to pass, citing concerns from both sides of the aisle. If the bill clears the House, it would need Senate approval for any changes before being sent to Gov. Mike DeWine. The bill’s sponsor is state Sen. Jerry Cirino.
Sen. Jerry Cirino expressed satisfaction that his bill, SB83, advanced in the Ohio House, despite the close committee vote. He believes the bill has enough support to pass, based on discussions with House members, and plans to personally address any concerns with House Speaker Jason Stephens. Cirino intends to help explain aspects of the bill that Stephens might not agree with or fully understand.
SB83 contains dozens of provisions. Among them:
- Schools would be required to release a statement declaring that it’s their duty to ensure that within or outside the classroom, the school will not require, favor, disfavor or prohibit speech or lawful assembly. They also would be barred from offering advantages or disadvantages due to traits like race, sexual orientation, religion or gender identity in hiring and other workplace decisions.
- Schools could not require programs or training on diversity, equity and inclusion, although individual schools could get an exemption if those requirements are necessary to qualify for a grant or cooperative agreements
- Schools would be required to punish students, faculty or staff found to have violated the “intellectual diversity rights of another individual,” while teacher evaluations would include a mandatory question about whether the faculty member promotes a bias-free environment
- Schools would be required to offer a mandatory American history or government course, which must include reading assignments for the U.S Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, five essays from the Federalist Papers, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and the Letter from Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Schools would be banned from accepting gifts and contributions from the People’ Republic of China or other organization acting on behalf of the Chinese government.
Supporters of Senate Bill 83, including conservative groups, argue that the bill is needed to counteract liberal bias on college campuses, claiming that professors often teach students what to think rather than how to think. This criticism mirrors national concerns, with figures like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis taking actions against perceived liberal biases in higher education. Opponents of the bill argue that it would overly micromanage colleges, limit their ability to attract students and faculty, and create a chilling effect on professors who might fear accusations of bias when critiquing student work.
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