Historic Higher Education Reform Bill Signed Into Law

The Advance Ohio Higher Education Act is now law.

Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 1 at the Governor's Mansion Friday afternoon.

Senator Jerry Cirino who sponsored Senate Bill 1 was joined by Speaker of the House Matt Huffman, Representative Tom Young who chairs the House Higher Education Committee and Representative Josh Williams who serves on the House leadership team, and Lt. Governor Jim Tressel watched Governor DeWine sign the bill into law.

It took more than two years to pass, countless hours of hearings, testimony and pushback from the status quo of today's campus cancel culture, but the effort to forge ahead for real change that focuses on the mission of education rather than the divisiveness of indoctrination is now law.

Senate Bill 1 ensures an environment for intellectual diversity.

It ends discriminatory DEI litmus testing for faculty hiring, and it puts students and their hard earned tuition first by protecting them from the risk of a strike by the faculty.

Watch our exclusive interview with Senator Jerry Cirino, Speaker of the House Matt Huffman, Representative Tom Young and Representative Josh Williams immediately aftter the signing ceremony.  They talk about the unified two-year effort to make significant and critical changes that will reaffirm the mission of higher education for Ohio's families, students and our economy for the 21st Century.

Senator Cirino was also joined by his family for the bill signing along with policy staff from the Senate and House. He spoke eloquently about the effort to pass higher education reform while thanking Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Tressel, Senate President McColley, Speaker Huffman and his colleagues in both chambers.

Earlier this week, the Senate concurred on the finishing touches the House made to the bill.

Watch the moving floor speeches from session. 

Senator Michele Reynolds said, "DEI has become a system that sorts us, it sorts us by race, by gender and by identity, creating a culture where we are defined by our categories instead of our character."

Senate President Rob McColley thanked Senator Cirino for his steadfast effort in crafting and carrying the bill. “This positive change to higher education is long overdue,” said Senate President Rob McColley. “Education is the mission of our public universities and Ohio’s new law is a watershed moment at ensuring intellectual diversity on campus.”

The work continues to make Ohio a great place to learn, live and raise a family.

Find the day in photos from the signing of Senate Bill 1 here.