SB 1 Updates
SB 1 signed into law
Despite massive opposition from Ohioans, SB 1, the Higher Ed Destruction Act, was signed into law by Governor DeWine on March 28, 2025. It will take effect in late June.
The fight is not over. Have you or someone you know benefited from diversity, equity and inclusion-related programs or initiatives? Individual stories will be key to fighting back in the courts and in the media. Share your story via Honesty for Ohio Education’s survey.
Resource List
- Senate Bill 1 —
- Bill as signed by the governor on March 28, 2025
- Legislation page
- Bill synopsis:
- SB1 Testimony submitted
- 1,728 opposed to 39 in favor as of March 20.
- Ohio Legislation tracking
- Statehouse News Outlets (here’s an in-depth article on SB 1 published March 11)
- Statehouse Advocacy Organizations
- Ohio Student Association for student organizing.
The Issues with SB1
What is in SB 1? Here is a synopsis of the bills, grouped by issue with page numbers so that you can read it yourself!
Retrenchment: The bills retain overly broad definitions of retrenchment, which would allow for retrenchment to be invoked at nearly any time.
SB1 = SB83+unfunded mandates: The new bills are nearly identical to SB 83 with extra mandates added. There are 25 issue areas in the bills including:
Faculty strikes banned and prohibited subjects for bargaining: The bill would not only prohibit faculty from striking, but inserts language on course load policies, post-tenure review, retrenchment, and evaluations — then prohibits them as topics we can even bargain on!
Complete ban on DEI: All diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities, including scholarships, would all be prohibited. The bill not only prohibits renaming programs, but requires snitching and discipline if anyone continues DEI practices.
Intellectual diversity: The bills contain contradictory and confusing language about ensuring “intellectual diversity,” which raises serious academic freedom concerns and would open faculty to unsubstantiated complaints.
Action Toolkit
The AFT and the AAUP have created an amazing advocacy and resistance toolkit for higher education! Topics include immigration, science and research, diversity-equity-inclusion, funding, student loans, accreditation, and anticipatory obedience. Get the resources now!
FAQs
What to do about ICE or other federal agents coming to your class
Faculty should send any ICE or other federal agent to the Office of General Counsel for guidance. Faculty are not to give information to ICE or other federal agents directly. You are not required to speak to them other than to send them to General Counsel. This information comes from the University.
We have no way of tracking the immigration status of any of our students. We do not keep records on that. You can tell that to an ICE agent: “I don’t know; we don’t track immigration status.”
Columbus trackers
Resources for tracking state legislation, the State Board of Education, and the Department of Education and Workforce. From Honesty in Ohio Education.