Antonio Urges Veto of Senate Bill 1, the Higher Education Destruction Act

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus sent a letter urging Governor DeWine to veto S.B. 1, the “Higher Education Destruction Act,” after the Senate voted to concur with the House changes made to the bill. 

“This legislation is a misguided attempt by overreaching legislators to impose their ideological beliefs on our public universities,” reads the letter. “The bill undermines academic freedom, attacks collective bargaining rights, and jeopardizes the future of higher education in our state.”

“Instead of tackling the real barriers to higher education, such as skyrocketing tuition costs and student debt, Ohio Republicans are focused on dictating what is taught in our colleges and universities and who teaches it,” said Antonio. “A distraction from the real problems facing students and families in Ohio, it is an attempt to shift the conversation away from the systemic inequalities that make higher education unavailable to so many.”

Between the bill’s committee hearings in the Senate and House of Representatives, S.B. 1 received over 1,700 testimony submissions opposing the legislation, compared to less than 50 submissions in support. Senate Bill 1 jeopardizes the future of higher education in Ohio by driving away students, faculty, and critical business partnerships.

Senate Bill 1 now heads to Governor Mike DeWine for his signature. The full veto letter can be found here.