Ohio Sen. Jerry Cirino, the chief architect of a controversial higher education bill, told an Ohio House committee charged with evaluating the proposal that “many” public university presidents support “most everything in the bill.”
Cirino, R-Kirtland, did not specifically say which education leaders back Senate Bill 1. He was the only speaker on the agenda at the bill’s first hearing in front of the Workforce and Higher Education Committee meeting Tuesday.
He’s essentially become the public voice of the state’s 14 public universities in Columbus as he continues to share sweeping statements of their support.
That’s because the leaders of these institutions – from Ohio State University to the University of Cincinnati – have not spoken about the bill publicly before lawmakers. None of them testified during Senate hearings on the bill before it passed in that chamber, and none are yet scheduled to speak publicly before the House.
“They are very excited about the prospect of being able to have more control over the management of the university, to be able to deal quickly and deftly with issues,” Cirino said about university presidents on Tuesday.
Senate Bill 1 would overhaul how higher education works in the state. It would ban faculty strikes, require training for university trustees, and end all diversity, equity and inclusion work. Critics say the bill is anti-union, could cost institutions millions to comply, and would end some critical support services for students.
Senate Bill 1 author says universities want to ‘move on to other things’
When asked about Cirino’s recent comments, officials at Kent State University said the university doesn’t comment on pending legislation, though President Todd Diacon did briefly discuss the bill in an online video. Other universities did not respond to requests for comments.
As Signal Ohio reported earlier this week, university presidents and the lobbying group that represents them decided not to make any collective statement, though individual universities are free to do so. None have.
Cirino has said publicly that he interprets their lack of public comments as neutrality, and therefore, a sign that they are on board. He made that point again during Tuesday’s hearing.
“They see that it’s going to happen and they want to move on to other things,” he said.
Ohio State discussed ‘concerns and recommendations for changes’ with Cirino
An Ohio State University spokesperson told Signal Ohio that President Ted Carter and other senior leaders have met with Cirino on “multiple occasions about our concerns and recommendations for changes.” He did not elaborate on what those exact concerns or recommendations are.
“We will continue to advocate for legislation that preserves academic freedom, supports research and artistic expression, and helps our students, faculty and staff succeed and excel,” the university said in a statement.
The state’s flagship university made headlines for closing two offices focused on diversity, equity and inclusion work. At a university meeting announcing the closures last week, Carter said the university disagrees with Senate Bill 1, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Cirino met with University of Akron administrators, students
Cirino’s also been talking about Senate Bill 1 outside of Columbus. He told lawmakers he recently visited the University of Akron to discuss it.
UA officials confirmed the visit to Signal Ohio. They said Cirino was invited to campus by Matthew Akers, the university’s special assistant to the president for government relations.
The senator had a full day of activities on Feb. 24. He gave a presentation about the legislation as well as “the current status of funding for higher education” to several administrators, according to the university. Members of the university’s board of trustees were also invited to attend. The university didn’t specify if any did.
Cirino’s time in Akron also included speaking to a government relations class Akers teaches. He spoke with the Honors Civics Club, too. UA officials said that group’s student members invited him.
The senator summarized his take on those conversations with students to his fellow lawmakers at Tuesday’s hearing.
“When I explained the bill to them, they understood it,” he said. “I think they were kind of told what was in the bill. They hadn’t read the bill.”
Cirino not open to Senate Bill 1 changes
As Senate Bill 1 looks to get traction in the House, Cirino indicated he’s not open to tweaking it.
During the nearly 90-minute hearing Tuesday, Ohio Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, D-Gahanna, asked Cirino if he’d be open to making changes.
The senator said no. That’s because, he said, this current bill is largely based on previous legislation that already made its way through the Statehouse, though that first iteration didn’t ultimately make it to a House vote.
“We’ve had plenty of input, plenty of changes that we’ve made,” he said. “Some of the changes I don’t particularly care for, but we included them for general purposes. So, I think this bill [has] matured and it’s ready to go.”
The next House hearing is scheduled for March 11.