House passes SB1 after hours of debate over DEI, tenure and campus policy

Senate Bill 1, the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, passed the Ohio House 58–34 on a roll-call vote after several hours of floor debate and repeated attempts to amend or table provisions.

Supporters of the bill argued it will protect students from compelled ideological instruction and restore what they called neutrality in higher education. Representative Young, sponsor of the House version, told the chamber that the bill seeks to “reclaim what made DEI effective” and to focus higher education on “learning, not activism.” He asked colleagues for a “passing of this bill.”

Opponents said the bill attacks academic freedom, removes protections and programs that help recruit and retain students and faculty, and weakens workforce pipelines (notably in medicine and social work). Representative Simani said SB1 will “devastate the state's economy by shrinking our workforce” and warned medical training could be impaired if instruction on social determinants of health or cultural competency is curtailed. Representative Byrd and other opponents said the bill…