DeWine's Legacy Will Be Destruction of Ohio's Academic Freedoms, Economic Growth, Future of Workers' Rights

COLUMBUS – Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and State Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) today released the following statements concerning Governor Mike DeWine’s harmful decision to sign Senate Bill (SB) 1 into law rather then listen to the overwhelming number of workers, students, teachers, and parents who called on him to veto the dangerous bill:

“Governor DeWine failed the people of Ohio by signing SB 1 into law. The governor now has to live with the consequences that will haunt his legacy because signing SB 1 into law begins the inevitable destruction of Ohio’s cherished higher education system by legalizing state-sponsored censorship and discrimination, it will damage our economy and future by making Ohio an extremely undesirable place to learn and work, and it radically undermines the collective bargaining rights of workers,” said Leader Russo. “It’s Republican policies exactly like this that are ripping people off and failing to address the issues that matter most to working families.”

Rep. Brown Piccolantonio is the ranking member on the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee and repeatedly fought against SB 1’s threats and the manner in which it was rushed through the committee process.

“By signing the Higher Education Destruction Act into law, Governor DeWine has ignored the will of the people and has jeopardized our system of higher education and our economy. This law will be devastating to students, harmful to working people, and will stifle academic freedom and campus free speech. Despite this catastrophic bill becoming law, I will never give up the fight on behalf of Ohio’s students, faculty, and staff,” said Ranking Member Brown Piccolantonio. 

Senate Bill 1 fails to address the biggest concerns that Ohioans have regarding higher education: affordability and ensuring more Ohio students have the opportunity to attend our universities and colleges. On Wednesday, House Democrats sent a letter to the governor urging a full veto of SB 1 and noted numerous consequences the bill will have for university students and staff in Ohio including how scholarships are a critical piece to the affordability of higher education, how the attack on DEI programs hurts Ohio’s diverse populations, and why unbalanced working conditions means top educators and researchers will leave Ohio.