Senate Strengthens Laws Against Antisemitism and Ethnic Intimidation

The very public rise of antisemitic intimidation across the country, especially on college campuses, received a very strong response from the Ohio Senate this week.

The Senate passed Senate Bill 297 with strong bipartisan support. 

Sponsored by Senator Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), the bill expands the offense of ethnic intimidation to include both riot and aggravated riot commited for the reason of the race, color, religion, or national origin of another person or group of persons.

The bill also defines antisemitism. This helps establish a basic premise to investigate violence or threats of violence toward the Jewish community.

"Following the events of October 7th last year, our Jewish students have felt targeted on campus and, in some dangerous sitituations, have been harassed and attacked," said Senator Johnson. "We must protect our Jewish neighbors, and this legislation accomplishes this while upholding our First Amendment right to free speech."

The bill passed 27 to 4, with three Democrat Senators Vernon Sykes, Kent Smith and Hearcel Craig joining their Republican colleagues in approving the bill.

Watch Senator Johnson make the case for the bill with Senator Kent Smith and Senator Jerry Cirino.

The heinous terror attacks on young Israelis attending a concert last year sparked outrage around the world, but also emboldened brazen antisemitic protests against Jewish students and Israel by radical Hamas sympathizers.

Watch our special President's Podcast with the CEO of Ohio Jewish Communities, Howie Biegelman, and Rabbi Yitz Frank from Augudath Israel about the fallout from the terror attack one year later. Their stories and message of survival and perserverance ring true even more during the approaching holiday of Hannukah.