Ohio Senate Passes Senate Bill 1 Despite Strong Opposition from Stakeholders
Despite opposition from over 850 faculty, students, organized labor, parents, and concerned citizens, the Ohio Senate Higher Education Committee passed Senate Bill 1 on a party-line vote of 5-2. The bill is a far-reaching bill that subjects Ohio’s public colleges and universities to legislative micro-management, restricts academic freedom, and places restrictions on collective bargaining rights. All amendments supported by the OEA were tabled on party-line votes in the committee.
Following committee, the Ohio Senate approved Senate Bill 1 by a vote of 21-11, with Senators Louis Blessing (R-Cincinnati) and Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) joining Democrats in opposing the bill. All floor amendments were tabled on a party-line vote except for one offered by Senator Bill DeMora (D-Columbus), that would have removed the bill’s anti-collective bargaining provisions and strike ban. Senators Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) joined Democrats in voting against the motion to table the amendment restoring collective bargaining rights. Additionally, we would like to extend our gratitude to Senators Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati), Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson), and Kent Smith (D-Euclid) for offering other OEA supported amendments to the bill.
OEA would like to thank all the members who have participated in our calls to action by making phone calls and submitting opposition testimony and letters to the Ohio Senate.
You can view OEA Vice President Jeff Wensing’s testimony here and our press releases on SB 1 here and here. SB 1 will now head to the Ohio House of Representatives for consideration. OEA currently doesn’t have a timeline for House consideration but will update members as soon as more information becomes available.
Please use OEA’s action alert to send a letter to your State Representative urging their opposition to Senate Bill 1.
Join Colleagues from Across the Country to Oppose Nominee for Secretary of Education
Yesterday, the U.S. Senate held a confirmation hearing on Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon, who pledged to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and promised to support the administration’s plan to expand unaccountable private school vouchers, which steal resources from public schools, where 90 percent of students across the country.
These policies will ultimately hurt students and threaten the ability of public schools to provide the highest quality education for ALL students, regardless of their zip code or background.
State Operating Budget Bill for Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027 Introduced
On Tuesday, February 11, 2025, Ohio House Finance Committee Chair, State Representative Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) introduced House Bill (HB) 96, the State Operating Budget for Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027. OEA Government Relations is reviewing the budget and will follow up with a special edition of the Legislative Watch containing a summary of items OEA is tracking in the over 4,000-page bill. Please note that the Ohio General Assembly must pass the budget before the end of the current fiscal year (11:59 PM on June 29, 2025). To learn more about the budgeting process in Ohio, please visit the Guide to the State Budget published by our partners at Policy Matters Ohio.
For an archive of past Legislative Watch releases, visit the Legislative Watch archive.