NATIONAL NEWS – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signs controversial ban on DEI in public colleges and universities

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

Governor of Ohio Mike DeWine has signed legislation to ban diversity, equity and inclusion(DEI) programs from public colleges and universities in Ohio. Students, teachers, and civil rights groups have protested this legislation and called for a veto by DeWine. The signing of the bill was announced on Friday without any further comments from the governor. 

The American Historical Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the American Association of University Professors, Ohio’s two largest K-12 teachers unions, and Democrats have called on De Wine to reject the bill. Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo said DeWine’s career will be tarnished by his decision. Russo stated, “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.” Russo also said DeWine’s actions would, “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.”