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?
But these conservative centers aren’t popular with students. Only 159 OSU students out of the more than 67,000 were enrolled at the Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society in 2025, according to state data. That is .2% of the campus.
It would be funny, if they weren’t gearing up to force the youth through their re-education centers. Article says they have a supermajority.
Republicans are doubling-down on the brain-drain, I see.
If I were a student in that state, I’d make it crystal clear why I’m transferring out by referencing this bullshit. Loudly. To everyone - my classmates, those in charge of the college, the legislators behind it all, and any social media I had access to.
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.
COME VISIT THE MANDATORY FREE SPEECH* ZONE OR ELSE.
*limitations apply
They’ll never discover they’re the baddies.
They don’t care
How many hours a year will a student have to waste time listening to such propaganda?
Under his bill, the center directors have the sole, exclusive and unlimited authority to oversee, develop and approve the center’s curriculum. They would also have all control over hiring and tenure.
OSU’s human resources department recommended that the Chase Center fire a civics center professor after he tackled a cameraman, according to WOSU.
Bangup job, then.
