Ohio AAUP Members:

We hope you are well-rested and ready to begin the new semester. It’s hard to believe that we’re already at the end of summer. Despite the legislative lull, it has been a busy couple of months for us at the state level, and we want to share a few updates.

1) Endorsement: Yes on Issue 1

The Ohio Conference AAUP has endorsed the Yes on Issue 1 constitutional amendment that will appear on the General Election ballot this November. The amendment will create a citizen-led redistricting commission, which will completely remove politicians and lobbyists from the legislative redistricting process.

Currently, we have a system through which politicians pick their voters instead of the other way around. These politicians create “gerrymandered” or “safe” districts where the primaries are the only elections that actually matter. Thus, we tend to end up with ideologically extreme lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The political party that controls the redistricting process is able to create a lopsided legislature in their favor, one that is not representative of Ohio.

Why is OCAAUP supporting a Yes on Issue 1?

By creating fair districts where voters actually get a choice, we will have much better odds of producing a balanced General Assembly with more moderate legislators who can work together. Extreme, ideologically-driven legislation like Senate Bill 83 is unlikely to be seriously considered under a more reasonable legislature.

This is about good government, not partisanship, which is why Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike are supporting the amendment. In fact, former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, a lifelong Republican, has been an outspoken advocate in favor of this amendment, much to the dismay of many of her colleagues who have benefitted from the current gerrymandered system.

We hope that you will consider voting Yes on Issue 1.

2) Endorsement: Senator Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate

The Ohio Conference AAUP Board doesn’t make a habit of endorsing in partisan elections. We understand that we represent members from across the political scope, who may not always agree with these decisions. Our endorsement policy explicitly requires a compelling rationale for endorsing candidates for elected office. The Board is a democratically-elected body that makes decisions in a democratic manner. The Board believed that Sen. Brown is worthy of the endorsement of his re-election campaign because of the issues that directly impact our members: workers’ rights and education.

First, Sen. Brown is rightfully known as the most pro-union U.S. Senator. Time and time again, he has delivered for workers when it matters. And it’s important to note that he has gone to bat for the AAUP in Ohio on a number of occasions, supporting faculty unionization, encouraging administrations to return to the bargaining table, and being on the front lines with us when we fought to repeal Senate Bill 5 in 2011. Brown even wrote the forward to the late, great Dr. John T. McNay’s book about the SB 5 battle: Collective Bargaining and the Battle of Ohio: The Defeat of Senate Bill 5 and the Struggle to Defend the Middle Class. That book is available for free here thanks to John and the University of Cincinnati press.

In addition, Sen. Brown has been an unequivocal advocate of public education at all levels. He is a strong supporter of all forms of post-secondary education, and has introduced legislation to make college more affordable and attainable. He not only understands, but also genuinely cares about, academic freedom for faculty, at a time when other lawmakers want to control classrooms and suppress forms of speech with which they disagree.

These attributes must be juxtaposed with Brown’s opponent, Bernie Moreno, who has decided to parrot the same kind of authoritarian positions on higher education as Ohio’s other Senator turned Vice Presidential candidate, J.D. Vance. Moreno is outwardly hostile toward higher education. He also was found guilty of wage theft from his car dealership employees. Given the high stakes of the upcoming elections and the stark contrast between the candidates, the Board believes that retaining Sherrod Brown in the U.S. Senate is of great importance to the Ohio AAUP.

When notified of the endorsement, Sen. Brown stated, “Ohio educators know I will always stand by their side to fight for fair wages, safer classrooms, and the resources needed for every student and faculty members to succeed. I’m grateful for the support of the OCAAUP and Ohio educators across the state as we continue fighting for the Dignity of Work and quality education for all Ohioans.” 

Here are important election dates:

-Military & Overseas Absentee Voting: Begins September 20

-Deadline to Register to Vote: October 7 (Boards open until 9:00 p.m.)

-Early In-Person Voting: October 8 and includes the two Saturdays and the two Sundays before Election Day.

-Absentee Voting By Mail: Begins October 8

-Election Day: November 5 (Polls Open 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.) If not returned by mail, absentee ballots must be received by your board of elections by 7:30 p.m.

Click here to register to vote, update your address, or check your registration. We strongly encourage everyone to check their voter registration, given that there was recently a significant purge of Ohio voters from the rolls.

3) AAUP Biennial Meeting and Summer Institute Recap

The national AAUP held its biennial meeting in Arlington, Virginia, in June. At this meeting, delegates elected Prof. Todd Wolfson from Rutgers the new president of the AAUP. Wolfson has stressed the need for greater solidarity across workers in higher education. He has strongly denounced the national attacks on colleges and universities, as well as the authoritarian-style takeover of higher education being touted by Sen. J.D. Vance.

AAUP members across the country, including a strong contingent from Ohio (pictured), also attended the AAUP Summer Institute in Detroit earlier this month. The Summer Institute is an annual event where AAUP members and staff attend workshops, panels, and plenaries on relevant topics. As usual, it was an excellent learning and networking experience. We thank all of the organizers, presenters, and attendees for a wonderful event!

4) No, SB 83 Isn’t Dead. Winter and Lame Duck Session are Coming.

The Ohio General Assembly is expected to be back in session after the November elections, roughly from November 13 through December 18. This is referred to as “lame duck session,” and is when a flurry of legislative activity occurs and bills are passed within a condensed period of time.

We expect that there will be another push to get SB 83 across the finish line, despite the fact that the bill’s sponsor has indicated that he’s given up on it for now, and instead will introduce a worse version in a more favorable political environment. We will need our members to be on alert once again and push back on this deeply flawed bill that seeks to undermine academic freedom, job security for faculty, student success, and higher education in general.

Stay tuned. Thanks for all that you do!