Overview
Senate Bill 1 officially became law on June 27, and institutions are quickly implementing the many mandates that require immediate compliance. There are several requirements of the law that have delayed compliance deadlines, as outlined here on the ODHE SB 1 page.

We have updated the SB 1 Toolkit page on our website with the most current information about the law, including FAQ resources developed by AAUP and OEA.

What are we doing now?
The State Conference is still working every day to fight back against SB 1. Last week, we convened a statewide meeting of faculty leaders (of all organizational affiliations) to discuss what SB 1 implementation looks like so far on campuses across the state and how faculty groups are organizing to push back.

During this meeting, we also discussed the legal strategies we are reviewing. We are in constant communication with state and national attorneys on what we might be able to litigate. We know that many are eager for legal action against the law, and we are too. Litigation requires a tremendous amount of work on the back end.

We also developed a shared Google Drive for faculty leaders to upload their institutions’ SB 1 policies. This will allow everyone to compare policies, as well as allow us to review the policies for anything that could be challenged in the courts.

What can you do on your campus?
We have heard troubling stories about administrations choosing to implement the law in ways that amount to “over-compliance.” In addition to potential legal challenges, a major part of fighting the law must involve harnessing the collective power on our campuses and pushing back against administrations’ eagerness to please the politicians in the Statehouse.

One way to combat over-compliance is to pressure administrations into creating clear SB 1 policies that comply with the bare minimum of the law. These policies should be developed within a shared governance process.

If there are SB 1 compliance “incidents” occurring on your campus, we urge you to document thoroughly what occurred and to share the information with your chapter leadership. Some of the issues may be able to be resolved locally, but others might rise to the level of potential litigation, and chapter leaders should report those to the state conference.

There are other actions in the works that we will inform you of once we have more details. Please stay engaged with your local AAUP chapter and continue to follow us for additional updates.

Late Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law House Bill 96, the state operating budget bill for Fiscal Years 2026-27. The governor approved some of the most widely opposed provisions in the bill, including a flat state income tax and the use of $600 million in unclaimed funds for the Cleveland Browns’ new stadium.

But, Gov. DeWine did veto 67 provisions within the bill, and you can see the entire list here. Among the vetoes were a few key higher education proposals.

The most significant of the higher education vetoes is in regard to the language awarding a portion of State Share of Instruction (SSI) funding based on compliance with Senate Bill 1. The budget bill had specified that the higher education committees of the Ohio House and Senate would determine compliance and award the $75 million in set aside funding; however, the governor stated that this provision would violate separation of powers and that the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) would disburse this funding.

While this veto does not completely alleviate concerns about this section of the bill, we believe that ODHE is more likely to view compliance through a strict letter-of-the-law lens rather than play more politics and further weaponize resources to our public colleges and universities in the manner the General Assembly very likely would have.

In addition, Gov. DeWine vetoed the proposals awarding a portion of SSI funds for accelerated degree pathways and employment outcomes based on state residency. While the governor isn’t opposed to creating accelerated degree pathways or basing some SSI on employment outcomes, he noted that the data does not exist that would allow for such funding to be distributed properly.

The governor also vetoed a portion of the bill relating to the new Ohio Higher Education Research Public Policy Consortium. The budget bill had limited grant awards to $10,000, but the veto removes the language that would cap the awards and instead leaves the funding amounts open-ended.

As you can see, the higher education vetoes made by the DeWine administration were based on technicalities rather than principles. As such, it is not surprising that the governor failed to veto some of the provisions that we found to be most worrisome–the proposals that attempt to further erode shared governance, that further empower the directors of the “civics centers,” as well as the egregious usurpation of STRS Board authority.

The General Assembly can override the governor’s line-item vetoes with 3/5 affirmative votes in each chamber. They can choose to do so at any time during the remainder of the General Assembly, but any override votes likely would occur sooner than later. Barring being called back for override votes, the legislature is expected to recess for the remainder of the summer and return in the fall.

On Wednesday, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 96, the state operating budget bill for Fiscal Years 2026-27. Gov. DeWine has until July 1 to sign the bill. He can veto line items. Here are some of the key provisions in the bill for higher education as it came out of conference committee:

• Increases the State Share of Instruction (SSI) by approximately 2.8% over the biennium, which fails to keep pace with inflation.
• Reserves 5% of the amount earmarked for traditional SSI for universities in each fiscal year to support College Credit Plus (CCP) pathways and accelerated ninety-hour degree programs.
• Earmarks $100,000 in SSI for each fiscal year to be distributed based upon employment and wage outcomes of graduates.
• Guarantees admission to a state institution of higher education for each high school graduate in the top 10% of the graduate’s graduating class. Also guarantees admission to main campuses for the top 5% of the graduate’s graduating class.
• Increases the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG), the program providing aid to low-income students, nearly 12% in FY 26, but then decreases the funding 6% from that amount in FY 27.
• Sets aside $75 million in SSI for SB 1 compliance in FY 27.
• Allocates $35 million for the five “civics centers” over the biennium.
• Grants extensive authority to the directors of the “civics centers” for approving all curricular matters, including the centers’ courses that will count toward university general education requirements.
• Establishes a board for the “civics centers” directors and requires the board to establish an office and hire employees.
• Sets a tuition cap of 3% for universities; allows community colleges to increase tuition by a maximum of $10 per credit hour.
• Reinserts the anti-shared governance language that had been inserted by the House but removed by the Senate. But, importantly, whereas the House’s language gave boards of trustees “unilateral and ultimate” authority on all curricular and programmatic matters, the latest version removes the word “unilateral,” bringing the provision more in line with existing practices. We would, however, still prefer the language were removed completely.
• Removes the special earmark for Cleveland State wrestling programs.
• Eliminates the mental health support line item.
• Includes a late-hour overhaul of the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) Board intended to wrest control from elected educators. The language would begin a transition for the 11-member board from seven elected seats to three. Two slots would expire in 2026, one in 2027 and another in 2028 on the dates those current terms expire. In their place, the board would see added: a designee of the chancellor of higher education; two appointees of the state treasurer; and four investment experts appointed respectively by the governor, the House speaker, the Senate president and jointly by the speaker and president. While not exclusively a higher education issue, this maneuver will directly affect the pensions of contributing faculty.

We are working with our partners at the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) on a joint letter to Gov. DeWine that will outline our line-item veto requests. OCAAUP is asking for the elimination of: 1) the anti-shared governance language; 2) the “civics centers” directors’ board; 3) the civics centers directors’ control over general education course approval; and 4) the outrageous changes to the STRS Board.

HB 96 is rightfully being called one of the worst budgets in Ohio history. Although state budgets tend to earn bipartisan support, for the first time in 20 years, the budget bill didn’t garner a single Democratic vote. It is a sign of the hyper-partisan nature and lack of accountability from a gerrymandered legislature.

At a time when public schools desperately need resources, libraries are struggling, and homeowners are being hit with property tax increases, this budget gives a $600 million handout to billionaires for a new football stadium, takes huge steps backwards on adequately funding public services, and fails to solve pressing issues for Ohioans.

We must continue to push our elected officials to do better, and we need to develop strategies for how we can help to shift the tide in the 2026 elections. In the meantime, if you’d like to contact the governor with a personalized message to help push for our line-item vetoes, you can use the form here. Here is a sample message:

Gov. DeWine:

I am requesting that you veto budget items BORCD106, BORCD107, and BORCD121 from the higher education portions of HB 96. We must allow the experts to maintain real input into the most basic matters of our colleges and universities. These provisions require short-sighted and unworkable governance requirements for our public institutions and the newly formed civics centers, exacerbating administrative bloat and wasteful spending.

In addition, you must veto budget item PENCD9, which is an unacceptable attack on the STRS Board without any opportunity for public input. Shoving such a significant change to the structure of the board that serves our retired educators into a massive budget bill at the 11th hour is simply bad policy and bad politics. Any changes to the STRS system should be introduced in a standalone bill and undergo full public participation.

Thank you for your consideration.

House Bill 96, the state operating budget bill, has now had three weeks of committee hearings in the Ohio Senate after passing the Ohio House of Representatives last month.

On May 15, the Senate Higher Education Committee heard public testimony on the higher education components of the budget bill. OCAAUP President Gretchen McNamara submitted this testimony on our behalf, which calls attention to our biggest issues in the bill: inadequate State Share of Instruction (SSI), the elimination of mental health support funding for students, a special earmark for an athletics’ program, and language that seeks to effectively eliminate real shared governance at our public institutions.

The bill will now be under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee, which will issue their version of the bill before the full Senate votes. We likely will see the Senate’s version of the bill the first week of June.

Undoubtedly, there will be a conference committee between the House and Senate to iron out their differences before sending a final version to the governor, who has the authority to line-item veto. We will provide more updates as the process unfolds.

SB 1 FAQ Document

In consultation with labor attorney Timothy Gallagher, we have put together a Senate Bill 1 frequently asked questions (FAQ) document for your reference. If you are a member and did not receive a copy of the FAQ document in your email, you can obtain a copy by emailing sara@ocaaup.org. We want to ensure that our members have an understanding of your rights and responsibilities under the law, which is slated to take effect on June 27.

Last Chance to Register!

This Thursday, May 8 at 6:00 pm, we will host a statewide membership meeting via Zoom to discuss SB 1.

This is an AAUP/OFT member-only webinar. Click here to register.

The presentation will include a summary of how OCAAUP fought back against SB 1, the prospects of a referendum and legal challenges, and an explanation of SB 1 as-enacted by labor attorney Timothy Gallagher. Mr. Gallagher will discuss faculty obligations under the law and address the most frequently asked questions. There will be opportunity for Q&A; so be ready to submit questions not addressed in the FAQ sheet.

Referendum Effort

There is a grassroots’ referendum effort underway to repeal SB 1. You can learn more about the process and volunteer by visiting the SB 1 Petition website.

While OCAAUP can share information about the referendum, there are new laws effectively preventing us from using organizational resources to directly and indirectly support the campaign. We will explain more about this during the May 8 Zoom meeting. However, we want to make clear that there is nothing preventing individual AAUP members from volunteering and otherwise participating in the referendum effort. Members can donate to the ballot PAC, as long as you are a U.S. citizen.

Earlier today, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost certified the initial petition, which allows the campaign to move forward with the process of collecting approximately 250,000 valid Ohio voter signatures by the law’s effective date. If enough valid signatures are collected, the law will be stopped and voters will have the opportunity in the November 4, 2025 general election to either repeal or keep the law.

We will continue to provide updates as the process moves ahead.