Lake County Times

State Senator Jerry C. Cirino has introduced Senate Bill 1, the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, which aims to reform higher education in Ohio. The legislation seeks to ensure academic excellence at public colleges and universities by addressing changing student demographics, workforce demands, and rising costs.

Senator Cirino emphasized the importance of free expression on campus, stating that "no student should ever be ostracized, cancelled, or have to worry about a failing grade for merely daring to have a difference of opinion with classmates or a professor." He believes that students should learn how to think critically and listen to opposing views.

The bill includes elements from Senate Bill 83 and introduces new features. It aims to enhance free speech and academic freedom while promoting intellectual diversity. "Critics who claim the bill promotes censorship have it exactly backwards," said Cirino. "Senate Bill 1 will allow students to exercise their right to free speech without threat of reprisal by professors or administrators."

Senate Bill 1 also bans Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) courses and related spending. Cirino stated that DEI programs are discriminatory and should not be funded by taxpayers.

The legislation outlines several key provisions: ensuring intellectual diversity in classrooms, providing free speech protections, eliminating DEI programming, requiring syllabus transparency, banning political litmus tests in hiring decisions, prohibiting faculty labor strikes, establishing post-tenure reviews, disclosing donations from affiliates of the People's Republic of China, and engaging trustees more in governance matters.

Rep. Tom Young supports the bill and plans to introduce a companion bill in the House. “This is transformational legislation that is greatly needed in order for Ohio’s public institutions of higher learning to not only survive but thrive,” said Young.

Both Senator Cirino and Rep. Young believe that this legislative effort is necessary for correcting course at higher education institutions focused on social engineering rather than teaching analytical skills. They argue that adherence to DEI requirements hinders these educational goals.

“Our Founders treasured diversity of thought so highly they made free speech our very first guaranteed right,” concluded Senator Cirino. “It’s time to bring that right back to campus.”