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A Republican leader in the Ohio Legislature has essentially killed a controversial Senate bill that would have heavily restricted diversity, equity and inclusion training on college campuses; allowed posttenure review; and included a broad range of justifications for reducing faculty head count and cutting academic programs.
House Speaker Jason Stephens said earlier this week that the proposed measure doesn’t have enough support in his chamber and he’s “not trying” to push for a vote, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The speaker never voiced much support for the bill, and when asked if it was dead, he chuckled and reiterated that he wouldn’t be putting effort into making it happen, News 5 Cleveland reported.
“I think there are a lot of concerns with that bill from both sides of the aisle, frankly,” Stephens told News 5.
The bill, the Higher Education Enhancement Act, was sponsored by State Senator Jerry Cirino and passed earlier this year by Senate Republicans who considered it a top priority.
Some faculty members were pleased with the outcome.
“We’re glad to see that the ‘brain-drain’ bill may be on its way out,” Pranav Jani, an English professor and president of the American Association of University Professors chapter at Ohio State University, told News 5.
