What to expect this week

Today (Tuesday, 2/11), the Ohio Senate Higher Education Committee is holding a hearing for all testimony on SB 1, the new iteration of last session’s SB 83–what has been dubbed “The Higher Education Destruction Act.”

The hearing will be dominated by an anticipated large volume of opponent testimonies. Despite the fact that the Senate Republicans know there is massive opposition to this bill, they are only giving opponents this one opportunity to make their voices heard.

What is more appalling, however, is that the Republican majority on the committee is slated to vote SB 1 out of committee tomorrow morning (Wednesday, 2/12), which very likely means that the bill will be brought to the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon to be passed by the full chamber.

Let’s be clear: the Senate committee will hear hours of opponent testimony today, likely ignore the multitude of valid concerns raised by those who are fighting for public higher education, and move forward with a vote tomorrow.

We are asking the Senate to slow down their process to allow more time for stakeholder input. As we reference in our testimony, OCAAUP has submitted a number of amendments to the bill’s sponsor and full committee that would assuage our most serious concerns with this bill.

What you can do

First, we want to thank the numerous AAUP members who submitted testimony for today’s hearing, many of whom will be showing up in person to the Statehouse this afternoon. If you can’t be there, you can watch the hearing live on The Ohio Channel beginning at 2:00 pm. Look for the live stream of the Senate Higher Education Committee.

There are two opportunities on Wednesday, February 12 to show up to the Statehouse and send a message to lawmakers that we’re watching:

1) The Senate Higher Education Committee vote on SB 1 at 9:00 am in the South Hearing Room (Statehouse, 2nd floor); and

2) Senate session (Senate chambers) at 1:30 pm, where it is expected SB 1 will be brought to the floor for a vote.

We know that most of you can’t make it to Columbus, but you can still help by making phone calls to the Senate Republican offices today and tomorrow. Below is a sample script, followed by the list of senators and their office numbers.

Sample script: Hello, [name and other identifying info, if you choose] I’m calling to let the senator know that I oppose Senate Bill 1. This bill is the epitome of big-government overreach, and it will destabilize higher education in Ohio. At the very least, it needs more thorough consideration and stakeholder input. If the bill is voted on this week, I strongly encourage the senator to vote no.

List of senators to call:

Senate President Rob McColley: (614) 466-8150

Higher Education Committee Chair Kristina Roegner: (614) 466-4823

Vice Chair and SB 1 Sponsor Jerry Cirino: (614) 644-7718

Committee Member Kyle Koehler: (614) 466-3780

Committee Member Jane Timken: (614) 466-0626

Committee Member Bill Reineke: (614) 466-8049

Nathan Manning: (614) 644-7613

Michele Reynolds: (614) 466-8064

Al Cutrona: (614) 466-8285

Mark Romanchuk: (614) 466-7505

George Lang: (614) 466-8072

Stephen Huffman: (614) 466-6247

Steve Wilson: (614) 466-9737

Susan Manchester: (614) 466-6344

Terry Johnson: (614) 466-8082

Shane Wilkin: (614) 466-8156

Tim Schaffer: (614) 466-8076

Brian Chavez: (614) 466-6508

Al Landis: (614) 466-5838

Sandra O’Brien: (614) 466-7182

Theresa Gavarone: (614) 466-8060

Andrew Brenner: (614) 466-8086

Thomas F. Patton: (614) 466-8056

Louis W. Blessing III: (614) 466-8068

Calling all of these offices is helpful, but if you have limited time, calling the first 9 on the list would be most productive.

We will send another message later this week recapping the events and sharing next steps.

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Other ways to take action.

There are a number of other ways that you can help us fight the legislation:

1) E-mail Senate and House members.

You can use our easy online form above, which will send messages to all state legislators asking them to vote no on the bills. We believe we have to contact all legislators right away given the quick timeline that is expected. More than 40,000 emails have been sent already. Let’s keep up the pressure!

2) E-mail Gov. DeWine

Due to the fast-track nature of the bills, we have to start asking the governor now to veto the bill. Gov. DeWine has been less inclined than other Republicans to buy into culture war politics, and we believe he understands the importance of a higher education system that maintains integrity.

3) Talk to your state legislators.

Talk to state legislators you know, and get to know the lawmakers who represent you, if you don’t already. Regardless of party affiliation, they need to hear from their constituents that SB 1/HB 6 will harm higher education and its economic impact on Ohio. Visit https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/ to find your legislators.

4) Write an op-ed.

Consider writing an op-ed to your local newspaper about the ways that this bill will hurt your institutions. You can also point out that the legislators who are pushing this bill once again have failed to listen to the overwhelming opposition from stakeholder groups and the broader public.

The Columbus Dispatch published this op-ed from the president of our Ohio State chapter.

5) Donate to our new “Advocacy & Defense Fund.”

THANK YOU to our generous members who already have made critical donations! OCAAUP is a small organization with one staff member that has kept dues as low as possible for our chapters and members. The challenges we face are going to require more resources, and 100% of the money donated to this fund will be used to fight political attacks and/or future legal challenges. ANY size donation is welcome and appreciated. Please note: the Ohio Conference AAUP is a 501(c)(6) organization; as a result, donations are not tax deductible. 

We have received notification that the opponent hearing for SB 1 will occur on Tuesday, February 11 at 2:00 pm in the North Hearing Room (2nd Floor) of the Ohio Statehouse.

The committee also announced a hearing for the morning of Wednesday, February 12 at 9:00 am in the South Hearing Room, and it appears they are slated to pass the bill out of committee at that time (no additional testimony opportunities). That means the full Ohio Senate could pass SB 1 in session later that day. Session begins at 1:30 pm Wednesday.

Important Testimony Instructions: Whether you’re testifying in-person or submitting written testimony only, you must fill out the witness form (link below). In order to be included in the official record, your witness form and testimony must be emailed as separate PDF documents at least 24 hours in advance of the hearing (so no later than Monday, February 10 at 2:00 pm) to Chair Kristina Roegner’s office. The email address to use is roegner@ohiosenate.gov.

In-person witnesses will be limited to three (3) minutes of oral testimony. The committee members may ask witnesses questions. At this time, there is no limit on the total length of the hearing, so it’s possible that this committee meeting lasts many hours.

Please note that OCAAUP, of course, will be providing broad testimony on the bill. The most effective way to make an impact is to be specific about how the bill would impact your teaching, your students, and your institution.

*If you are planning to testify in person, please email sara@ocaaup.org.* We may have the ability to provide a “priority witness list” and help the chair’s office sort through the testimony. We will do our best to ensure that all AAUP members who plan to show up have the opportunity to be heard. However, there is the possibility that witnesses are called upon in order of when the testimony was received by the chair’s office.

Parking: There are many parking options around the Ohio Statehouse, but the easiest to plan on is the Columbus Commons Underground Parking Garage located at 191 S. Third Street, Columbus, OH 43215.

Below are resources to help prepare your testimony:

–SB 1 Text

–SB 1 LSC Analysis

-SB 1 OCAAUP Synopsis

–Testimony Template (this is a view-only doc; copy/paste into your own doc)

–Senate Higher Education Committee Witness Form

Looking forward to seeing many of you at the Statehouse on Tuesday! 

SB 1 Updates and Opponent Hearing

Last Week’s SB 1 Hearing
Last week, there was a Senate Bill 1 hearing for sponsor and proponent testimonies. Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), SB 1’s sponsor, delivered his testimony in defense of the bill. There were 14 proponent testimonies submitted, although not all of the proponents showed up in person. Nearly all of the proponents focused their testimonies in support of the total DEI ban, and hardly any referenced other portions of the legislation. Some of the witnesses were from out of state, and not a single student from a public university in Ohio testified in support of the bill.

Click here to view the testimonies. You can also watch a recording of the hearing by clicking here.

SB 1 Opponent Hearing
We know that many of you are eager to submit testimony and make your plans to be at the Statehouse in Columbus for the opponent hearing. Unfortunately, we still do not have confirmation of when the opponent hearing will be. We will send another message as soon as we have confirmation.

What we do know is that the Senate Higher Education Committee announced that their standing committee time will be Wednesdays at 9:00 am. Given that the Ohio Senate is in session next week, there is a good chance the hearing will be Wednesday, February 12 at 9:00 am, but we won’t know for sure until the chair’s office issues the meeting notice, which may not be until this Friday.

In the meantime, here are resources to help prepare your testimony:

–SB 1 Text
–SB 1 LSC Analysis
–SB 1 OCAAUP Synopsis
–Testimony Template (this is a view-only doc; copy/paste into your own doc)
–Senate Higher Education Committee Witness Form

Whether you’re testifying in-person or submitting written testimony only, you must fill out the witness form. In order to be included in the official record, your witness form and testimony must be emailed at least 24 hours in advance of the hearing to Chair Kristina Roegner’s office. We will provide that email address in our follow-up message.

Based on the first hearing for SB 1, witnesses who will be testifying in person likely will have only three (3) minutes to deliver oral testimony. We encourage you to make your testimony as brief and to the point as possible.

Other ways to take action.
There are a number of ways that you can help us fight the legislation:

1) E-mail Senate and House members.

You can use our easy online form above, which will send messages to all state legislators asking them to vote no on the bills. We believe we have to contact all legislators right away given the quick timeline that is expected. More than 30,000 emails have been sent already. Let’s keep up the pressure!

2) E-mail Gov. DeWine

Due to the anticipated fast-track nature of the bills, we have to start asking the governor now to veto the bill. Gov. DeWine has been less inclined than other Republicans to buy into culture war politics, and we believe he understands the importance of a higher education system that maintains integrity.

3) Talk to your state legislators.

Talk to state legislators you know, and get to know the lawmakers who represent you, if you don’t already. Regardless of party affiliation, they need to hear from their constituents that SB 1/HB 6 will harm higher education and its economic impact on Ohio. Visit https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/ to find your legislators.

4) Write an op-ed.

Consider writing an op-ed to your local newspaper about the ways that this bill will hurt your institutions. You can also point out that the legislators who are pushing this bill once again have failed to listen to the overwhelming opposition from stakeholder groups and the broader public.

Today, The Columbus Dispatch published this op-ed from the president of our Ohio State chapter.

5) Donate to our new “Advocacy & Defense Fund.”

THANK YOU to our generous members who already have made critical donations! OCAAUP is a small organization with one staff member that has kept dues as low as possible for our chapters and members. The challenges we face are going to require more resources, and 100% of the money donated to this fund will be used to fight political attacks and/or future legal challenges. ANY size donation is welcome and appreciated. Please note: the Ohio Conference AAUP is a 501(c)(6) organization; as a result, donations are not tax deductible. 

Thank you for your engagements on SB 1/HB 6. We will follow up soon with more information.

State Budget & Other Legislation

DeWine Unveils Executive Budget
On Monday, Gov. DeWine put forward his executive proposal for the state’s biennial operating budget. Eventually, we will have a bill number when the chair of the House Finance Committee formally puts the proposal into legislation, but for now we have the governor’s “blue book.”

As expected, largely on account of the budget request submitted by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to the governor, the executive budget proposes flat funding to State Share of Instruction (SSI), which is the main funding stream of state support to public colleges and universities. SSI would receive a 0.1% “increase” in Fiscal Year 2026 and maintain that funding level in Fiscal Year 2027. Considering inflation, flat funding amounts to a budget cut to our institutions, and at a time when the legislature is also proposing new mandates that could cost colleges and universities millions.

The governor stated that Ohio will “continue to invest in the nation’s most aggressive outcomes-based higher education funding formula, ensuring that colleges and universities stay laser-focused on student success and postgraduation employment outcomes.” In other words, the governor would like to see a portion of SSI predicated on employment outcomes for graduates. We have yet to see the specific parameters and metrics for this proposal.

On a more positive front, the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG), which benefits low-income students and can be used at any Ohio institution–public or private–will receive an 11.8% increase in FY 26; however, that increased amount gets scaled back by 6% in FY 27. We do not know why the proposed amount is decreased in the second year, but it could be based on an enrollment decline assumption.

The five “civics centers” that were proposed under SB 117 in the last legislative session, and ultimately were approved in HB 33 (the last state operating budget bill) are slated to receive a total of $35 million over the biennium. The centers are being established at Cleveland State University, Miami University, Ohio State University, University of Toledo, and Wright State University. OCAAUP had provided interested party testimony on SB 117 due to the nature of how the centers were to be established–outside of academic norms and void of shared governance. There also are concerns about duplication with existing academic programs that already teach the kinds of courses offered by these centers.

This is just the beginning of the budget process, and we will keep you apprised as this moves through the legislature.

Senate Bill 8
Senate Bill 8 is the new iteration of SB 47 that was introduced during the previous legislative session. SB 47 only received sponsor testimony and no further legislative action. However, we believe that SB 8 might have more traction in the current General Assembly.

In short, the bill would prohibit employers from agreeing to paid release time in collective bargaining agreements for public employees who engage in political and/or lobbying activities. It does not appear to preclude union leaders and members from being afforded release time to conduct union business.

We will monitor the bill and provide updates as necessary.

This Thursday, January 30 at 7:00 pm, in conjunction with the Honesty for Ohio Education coalition, we will be leading a forum and training on the new iterations of SB 83: SB 1 and HB 6.

Click here to register for the online event.

The forum will include an explanation of the companion bills and their potential impacts, Q&A, a training on how to write, submit, and present testimony, as well as how to talk to legislators about these issues.

As of now, there is scheduled activity only on SB 1. The hearing for sponsor and proponent testimony in the Senate Higher Education Committee is this Wednesday. We do not yet know with certainty when the opponent hearing will be held, but there is a good chance that it will be next week, possibly on Wednesday, February 5.

We will send another message when we have notice for the opponent hearing with instructions on how to submit your testimony. Typically, committee chairs request that written testimonies are submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the hearing, so be prepared to e-mail testimony early next week.

SB 83 returns as SB 1/HB 6.

We are proud of the work that we did during the last legislative session to build widespread opposition to Senate Bill 83. Our efforts solidified bipartisan legislative opposition to the bill, which prevented it from passing the Ohio House of Representatives. We knew that was not going to be the end, however, as legislators promised to resurrect the bill.

On January 22, State Senator Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), the sponsor of SB 83, reintroduced the bill as Senate Bill 1 for the 136th General Assembly. On January 23, Rep. Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.), also the chair of the House Higher Education Committee, introduced a companion bill: House Bill 6.

The fact that the Senate majority designated the bill as SB 1 signals to the public that this is the their top priority. As Ohioans continue to voice concerns about cost of living, rising property taxes, and other pocketbook issues, the Ohio Senate, in return, has sent the message that they care more about culture war education politics and retaliation against higher education stakeholders than helping Ohioans deal with their most pressing issues.

What is in SB 1/HB 6?

We created our own synopsis of the bills, grouped by issue area and listed in the order they appear in the bill. We provided page numbers so that you can reference the language for yourself.

You will notice that the new bills are nearly identical to the last version of SB 83 with some significant and insignificant changes. By our count, there are 25 issue areas in the bills, and it’s one unfunded, onerous, and unnecessary mandate after another on faculties and administrations.

In terms of significant changes, the bill would ban faculty strikes. You may recall that all campus unions would have been banned from strikes in the original version of SB 83. At one point, the strike ban was removed; but at the same time, the sponsor added in language to prohibit certain collective bargaining subjects (retrenchment, tenure, evaluations). Now the language is limited to a ban on faculty union strikes, and the prohibition on bargaining subjects remains. Our labor union coalition, We Are Ohio, is still fully behind us and will be taking actions to remind lawmakers that an attack on any labor union is an attack on all labor unions.

Another major change is that SB 1/HB 6 would completely ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including DEI-related scholarships. Republicans have been using the U.S. Supreme Court’s Harvard admissions’ decision on affirmative action as a justification to drive the elimination of all campus DEI without legislation. The language in these bills would leave no room for DEI or even renamed DEI, except for in very limited circumstances to secure grant funding.

The bills still contain contradictory and confusing language about ensuring “intellectual diversity,” which raises serious concerns related to academic freedom and would open up faculty to unsubstantiated complaints. The legislation also retained the overbroad definition of retrenchment, which would allow for retrenchment to be invoked at almost any time.

We encourage you to read the bill for yourself and refer to our synopsis.

What can we expect in terms of timeline and legislative process?

All we know for sure at this point is that Republican leaders in both chambers want to fast-track these bills, because they know the more time they give their colleagues to read the bills and hear from constituents, the less likely legislators are to support them. As we told you in our last email, we face a much steeper uphill battle with the political realities in the new General Assembly.

We expect that there will be some kind of committee process, and it is likely to happen soon. Please stay tuned for opportunities to submit testimony.

Take action ASAP.

There are a number of ways that you can help us fight the legislation:

1) E-mail Senate and House members.

You can use our easy online form above, which will send messages to all state legislators asking them to vote no on the bills. We believe we have to contact all legislators right away given the quick timeline that is expected.

2) E-mail Gov. DeWine

Due to the anticipated fast-track nature of the bills, we have to start asking the governor now to veto the bill. Gov. DeWine has been less inclined than other Republicans to buy into culture war politics, and we believe he understands the importance of a higher education system that maintains integrity.

3) Talk to your state legislators.

Talk to state legislators you know, and get to know the lawmakers who represent you, if you don’t already. Regardless of party affiliation, they need to hear from their constituents that SB 1/HB 6 will harm higher education and its economic impact on Ohio. Visit https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/ to find your legislators.

4) Dust off your SB 83 testimony and/or op-ed.

Please have your testimony ready to update and submit. If you didn’t write testimony on SB 83, we will need even more voices this time, so please consider starting to draft testimony. We will send more information about testimony submissions when the time comes.

If you wrote an op-ed previously, consider updating that and submitting again to point out that the legislators who are pushing this bill once again have failed to listen to the overwhelming opposition from the public.

5) Donate to our new “Advocacy & Defense Fund.”

THANK YOU to our generous members who already have made critical donations! OCAAUP is a small organization with one staff member that has kept dues as low as possible for our chapters and members. The challenges we face are going to require more resources, and 100% of the money donated to this fund will be used to fight political attacks. ANY size donation is welcome and appreciated. Please note: the Ohio Conference AAUP is a 501(c)(6) organization; as a result, donations are NOT tax deductible. 

Please stay engaged as this process unfolds, and do what you can to aid our efforts. Thank you!