In 2025, Senate Finance chair Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) got legislation passed, dramatically changing higher ed.
Ohio bill would defund public universities for promoting DEI
S.B. 1 focuses on what Cirino calls “free speech,” banning public universities in Ohio from Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, having “bias” in the classroom and limiting how “controversial topics” can and can’t be taught. “Controversial” under Ohio law includes “belief policy that is the subject of political controversy, including issues such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion.”
A free speech education bans talking about controversal topics? Totally free speech right there. The subtle bit of speech this conveniently ignores is the speech opportunity that is being denied to the students in abstaining from attending the demonization of DEI, climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion.
What really gets me is that marriage is controversial now? What marriage stuff is controversial? Oh, right. Being against marriage equality is a hill they’re wanting to die on.
No chance they’d talk about Regan sending the national guard to kill protesters of the Vietnam war?
Republicans are bullies. They have unearned power and don’t know why educated, thinking, and skilled people want nothing to do with their small minded hatred.
On a plus side though we don’t have to deal with a Harris presidency.
They told me that if i voted for Harris all of the things currently happening would happen and I just wouldn’t listen and I voted for Harris. I should have listened.
You are much more eloquent than I.
Thank goodness we now have the acceleration we need to have everyone come to their senses, put a stop to this, and institute the approved utopia.