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New leaders picked for the next session of the General Assembly, with the focus on the next speaker. And the current speaker announces his intentions for the controversial and conservative higher ed legislation known as Senate Bill 83. Guests are House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and Senator Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland)

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00:00:39	new leaders
00:00:39	picked for the upcoming
00:00:40	session
00:00:40	of the General Assembly,
00:00:42	with the focus
00:00:42	on the next speaker
00:00:44	and the current speaker
00:00:44	announces his intentions
00:00:47	for the controversial
00:00:47	and conservative
00:00:49	higher education legislation
00:00:49	known as Senate Bill 83.
00:00:53	That's this
00:00:53	week in the state of Ohio.
00:01:12	Just.
00:01:13	Welcome to the state of Ohio.
00:01:15	I'm Karen, counselor.
00:01:17	The 2024 election
00:01:17	was a little over
00:01:19	two weeks ago,
00:01:19	but the newly reelected
00:01:21	and elected members
00:01:21	of the Ohio House
00:01:23	and Senate have picked
00:01:23	their leadership
00:01:25	teams
00:01:25	for the next General Assembly.
00:01:27	And after two years of battles
00:01:29	over leadership in the House,
00:01:30	the race for speaker
00:01:30	was in the spotlight.
00:01:33	State House correspondent
00:01:33	Sarah Donaldson reports.
00:01:36	Senate President Matt Huffman
00:01:36	was unanimously nominated
00:01:39	by the Ohio House Republicans
00:01:40	to preside
00:01:41	over the chamber
00:01:42	for the next legislative
00:01:42	session, starting in January.
00:01:45	The vote Wednesday night
00:01:45	capped off
00:01:47	a few days of questions
00:01:47	after Republican incumbent
00:01:49	Speaker Jason Stephens
00:01:49	shook up the race on Monday
00:01:52	in a press conference
00:01:52	that had been announced
00:01:54	a little over two hours
00:01:54	earlier, Stevens said
00:01:57	he wants to see some bills
00:01:57	get through during lame duck,
00:02:00	such as the so-called parents
00:02:00	Bill of rights and provisions
00:02:03	modernizing
00:02:03	the adoption process.
00:02:05	I have
00:02:05	done what I said I would do.
00:02:09	Ohio is
00:02:09	definitely in a better place
00:02:12	because of the leadership
00:02:12	of the people's House.
00:02:15	Beyond legislation.
00:02:16	One of the things
00:02:16	I'm most proud of
00:02:19	is something that most people
00:02:19	don't get to see every day
00:02:22	is the professionalism that
00:02:22	I've brought to the house,
00:02:25	I will not have
00:02:25	my name placed in nomination
00:02:27	as a candidate for speaker
00:02:27	during the Wednesday caucus.
00:02:30	I am honored and look forward
00:02:30	to continuing to serve
00:02:33	the great constituents
00:02:34	of the beautiful 93rd
00:02:34	District of Ohio
00:02:37	as State Representative.
00:02:38	But that didn't appear
00:02:38	to clear the way
00:02:40	for Hoffman, who has said he'd
00:02:41	run for speaker
00:02:41	for more than a year.
00:02:43	Freshman Representative
00:02:43	Tim Barr said there's
00:02:46	been dysfunction in the House,
00:02:47	which showed
00:02:47	in the primary challenges
00:02:49	to incumbents
00:02:49	earlier this year
00:02:51	who had supported Stevens.
00:02:51	Some of those
00:02:53	primary challengers
00:02:53	were funded by Hoffman.
00:02:56	It's just been
00:02:56	a lot of dysfunction,
00:02:59	and I just feel like,
00:02:59	one of our own
00:03:01	should be the one that deals
00:03:01	with this and that.
00:03:03	We don't have to have
00:03:05	somebody come over
00:03:05	from the other chamber
00:03:07	that, can come over
00:03:07	and save us.
00:03:09	Though Derek
00:03:09	Marin had been selected
00:03:11	speaker in the House
00:03:11	GOP caucus two years ago, 22
00:03:15	Republicans
00:03:15	had voted for Stevens
00:03:16	for speaker,
00:03:16	along with all 32 Democrats.
00:03:20	Republicans
00:03:20	nicknamed the group
00:03:22	the Blue 22 and censured them.
00:03:24	Four of those incumbents
00:03:24	lost their primaries.
00:03:28	Bart Horst had the support
00:03:28	of some far right groups.
00:03:31	One focused on
00:03:31	a total abortion
00:03:32	ban, another that wants
00:03:32	no limitations on gun rights,
00:03:36	and a third that opposes
00:03:36	all vaccine mandates.
00:03:39	Hoffman supporters
00:03:39	fired back on social media
00:03:42	with letters
00:03:42	backing their candidate from
00:03:44	conservative Congressman Jim
00:03:44	Jordan and Warren Davidson.
00:03:48	But when the vote happened,
00:03:48	nobody nominated Barr first,
00:03:51	which he says
00:03:52	was because of confusion
00:03:52	around the process to do so.
00:03:55	With no other candidates
00:03:55	nominated and Stephens out.
00:03:58	Huffman won unanimous support.
00:04:00	I do think that there's some,
00:04:02	reconciliation
00:04:02	that needs to happen.
00:04:05	And if
00:04:07	there's 17 new members
00:04:07	coming into this House,
00:04:10	and I think that those
00:04:10	those folks are,
00:04:13	going to be in a good position
00:04:13	to do that.
00:04:15	17 new Republican members.
00:04:17	So in January, starting
00:04:17	January 6th,
00:04:19	this will be a forward
00:04:19	looking, Republican caucus.
00:04:23	This group of 65, will be,
00:04:23	setting
00:04:28	a, I hope, a an aggressive
00:04:28	conservative agenda.
00:04:32	And, that agenda
00:04:32	is not going to be set by me.
00:04:37	Many of you have asked
00:04:37	that all important question.
00:04:40	What is your priorities
00:04:40	for Lame duck for next year?
00:04:43	Priorities
00:04:43	come from the caucus.
00:04:45	And if we have a significant
00:04:45	majority
00:04:49	of the caucus, if we have 80
00:04:49	or 90% of the people
00:04:52	who want to do something,
00:04:52	that we're going to do it.
00:04:56	Huffman ran for the House
00:04:57	unopposed and could serve
00:04:58	in that chamber
00:04:58	for for two year terms.
00:05:01	He referenced that in a gaggle
00:05:03	with reporters
00:05:03	earlier in the week.
00:05:05	I suppose there's
00:05:05	a presumption
00:05:06	that I would be an eight year
00:05:06	speaker.
00:05:08	I don't know that
00:05:10	that's likely,
00:05:10	but it's certainly possible.
00:05:12	I'm 64. I'm in pretty good
00:05:12	health.
00:05:14	My dad practiced
00:05:14	law till he was 89, so,
00:05:18	maybe I'd still be doing this
00:05:18	when I was seven years old.
00:05:22	Huffman
00:05:22	could be the first person
00:05:24	to serve as Ohio's Senate
00:05:24	president and House speaker.
00:05:27	In more than a century,
00:05:27	since Albert Lamson
00:05:29	served two years as speaker
00:05:31	starting in 1888
00:05:31	and then two years
00:05:33	as the Senate leader from 1892
00:05:33	to 1894.
00:05:37	Sarah Donaldson, Statehouse
00:05:37	News Bureau.
00:05:41	Huffman is also expanding
00:05:42	the House GOP leadership
00:05:42	team from 6 to 9.
00:05:45	They are Gail
00:05:46	Manning as Speaker pro tem,
00:05:46	Phil Plumber as assistant
00:05:49	speaker pro tem, Marilyn
00:05:49	John as majority floor leader,
00:05:53	Adam Bird as assistant
00:05:53	majority floor leader.
00:05:56	And there will be four
00:05:56	Majority Whip's Ryan McLane,
00:05:59	Nick Santucci, Steve Demetrio
00:05:59	and Josh Williams.
00:06:03	As expected,
00:06:03	Republican senators
00:06:05	pick Rob McCauley
00:06:05	as their incoming president,
00:06:07	with Bill Reinecke
00:06:07	as president pro tem
00:06:10	Teresa Gavron
00:06:10	as majority floor leader
00:06:12	and George Lang
00:06:12	as majority whip.
00:06:15	Senate Democrats reelected
00:06:16	Nikki Antonio
00:06:16	as minority leader,
00:06:18	Hershel Craig as assistant
00:06:18	Democratic leader,
00:06:21	and Kent
00:06:21	Smith as Democratic whip.
00:06:23	Newly elected Senator
00:06:23	Beth Littleton,
00:06:25	who's coming over from
00:06:26	the House, will be assistant
00:06:26	Democratic whip in the House.
00:06:29	The entire
00:06:30	Democratic leadership team
00:06:30	was unanimously reelected.
00:06:33	Allison Russo is minority
00:06:33	leader on TV's Gerald
00:06:36	as assistant minority Leader,
00:06:36	Danny Isaacson as minority
00:06:39	whip and Michelle Grimm
00:06:39	as assistant minority whip.
00:06:43	I talked with Leader Russo
00:06:43	just before the speaker vote
00:06:45	on Wednesday.
00:06:46	Listen, whoever is speaker
00:06:46	next, General Assembly,
00:06:51	our job, and my job
00:06:51	specifically
00:06:54	as the minority leader is,
00:06:54	you know, to,
00:06:57	try to find, some common
00:06:57	ground to end a path forward.
00:07:01	You know, I note,
00:07:03	this will be
00:07:04	the fourth speakers
00:07:04	that I have worked with
00:07:06	since I have been a member
00:07:06	of the General Assembly.
00:07:08	It will be the third
00:07:08	as minority leader.
00:07:11	And so, you know,
00:07:11	I know that it is important
00:07:14	to have a good working
00:07:14	relationship.
00:07:16	But, you know, as House
00:07:16	Democrats, what we will be
00:07:20	focused on is making sure
00:07:20	that we are moving forward
00:07:24	as much as possible,
00:07:25	policies that really improve
00:07:25	the lives of everyday people.
00:07:29	But also,
00:07:29	we know that we are a firewall
00:07:32	on, some issues,
00:07:32	and we will not back down
00:07:36	from being that firewall
00:07:36	when we have to.
00:07:39	And so, you know, it
00:07:39	certainly will be challenging
00:07:42	navigating regardless.
00:07:42	Who is speaker?
00:07:45	I mean, even the current
00:07:45	speaker and I
00:07:47	as, as we had a good working
00:07:47	relationship,
00:07:49	but we disagreed on
00:07:49	many things.
00:07:52	And still,
00:07:52	you know, had, mutual respect
00:07:55	and professionalism and,
00:07:55	tried to work together where
00:07:59	we could, and it made sense.
00:08:00	So you're not ready to say
00:08:00	whether the Democrats
00:08:02	have put up
00:08:02	their own candidate
00:08:04	as speaker
00:08:04	when the floor vote?
00:08:05	Listen,
00:08:05	there are too many unknowns.
00:08:08	Let's, you know, let the
00:08:09	the Republicans,
00:08:09	have that debate.
00:08:13	And I'm sure it will be
00:08:13	a rigorous debate,
00:08:17	amongst themselves.
00:08:18	And, I know what our job is
00:08:20	as the House
00:08:20	Democratic Caucus,
00:08:22	and what
00:08:22	we will be focused on
00:08:25	in the next General Assembly.
00:08:26	You knew going into this
00:08:26	that whoever was going to be
00:08:28	the House speaker was going
00:08:28	to be a conservative.
00:08:31	So how will you work with him
00:08:33	on legislation
00:08:33	that Democrats care about?
00:08:36	Yeah.
00:08:36	So I think, listen,
00:08:36	as in the past,
00:08:39	but in many circumstances,
00:08:43	there are pieces
00:08:43	of legislation
00:08:45	that frankly,
00:08:45	they're not conservative ideas
00:08:48	or Democratic ideas
00:08:48	or Republican ideas.
00:08:51	They're just good ideas.
00:08:53	And so the challenge
00:08:53	often in the minority
00:08:57	is you try to find
00:08:57	as many of those as possible.
00:09:00	And it turns out
00:09:00	we have members
00:09:01	who are quite successful
00:09:01	in doing that
00:09:04	and finding a path forward
00:09:04	because, you know, often
00:09:07	issues don't come down
00:09:07	firmly in Democrat
00:09:11	Republican support.
00:09:12	You know, there's
00:09:12	usually a mix of support
00:09:12	and you have
00:09:14	to find coalitions
00:09:14	to move forward.
00:09:16	That's that.
00:09:17	On the flip side,
00:09:18	there's certainly things that,
00:09:18	you know, we will vigorously
00:09:21	fight back on and,
00:09:21	any attacks on working rights,
00:09:25	attacks on public education,
00:09:25	attacks on voting rights,
00:09:28	attacks on the freedom
00:09:30	to make your own medical care
00:09:30	decisions.
00:09:33	Those are things that we're
00:09:33	going to hold a firm line,
00:09:35	and we absolutely, probably
00:09:35	will have vigorous debate.
00:09:39	And, but, you know, that's
00:09:39	how this business works here.
00:09:44	It's messy.
00:09:45	It's a little, give and take,
00:09:47	and you try to make progress
00:09:47	where you can't.
00:09:49	You gained two seats
00:09:49	in this last election,
00:09:52	but you're still
00:09:52	in the minority.
00:09:53	There's been
00:09:53	a lot of legislation
00:09:55	that's been introduced
00:09:55	that did not pass, as this
00:09:58	dispute in the Republican
00:09:58	leadership carried on.
00:10:02	Democrats
00:10:02	probably don't expect
00:10:03	a lot of their bills to pass.
00:10:05	But has this been
00:10:06	a particularly frustrating
00:10:06	two year session for you
00:10:10	in that things just didn't
00:10:10	move?
00:10:12	Well, certainly
00:10:12	there has been frustration,
00:10:16	by both Democrats
00:10:16	and Republicans.
00:10:19	That's probably
00:10:19	why you see these divisions
00:10:22	still exist
00:10:22	in the Republican caucus.
00:10:24	And, it is because, yes,
00:10:24	there's
00:10:27	been a lot of dysfunction
00:10:27	there.
00:10:29	Mostly
00:10:29	because of internal conflicts
00:10:32	that have been going on
00:10:32	amongst the Republicans.
00:10:36	But our members have been
00:10:36	successful in many ways.
00:10:39	And, you know,
00:10:39	that's the challenge here,
00:10:40	as especially as the minority
00:10:40	caucus
00:10:43	is, you have to figure out
00:10:44	ways to be effective,
00:10:44	to know the process,
00:10:47	where you can make
00:10:47	small incremental change,
00:10:50	improvements to legislation,
00:10:50	having your legislation
00:10:53	be part of other legislation,
00:10:53	negotiation.
00:10:57	Is incredibly important.
00:10:58	And so our members
00:10:58	have been able to find,
00:11:00	you know, good success there.
00:11:02	Are there
00:11:02	things that are still sitting
00:11:02	in the Senate,
00:11:05	that we find very frustrating,
00:11:05	especially if they came out,
00:11:08	you know, our legislation
00:11:08	always has bipartisan support.
00:11:11	It has to in order
00:11:11	to get across the finish line.
00:11:14	Sometimes it has unanimous
00:11:14	a unanimous support
00:11:17	coming out of the house.
00:11:18	Is that frustrating for it
00:11:18	not to move in the Senate?
00:11:21	Yes, but that's not just
00:11:21	a Democrat problem.
00:11:23	That is
00:11:25	I think across, the entire
00:11:25	especially in the House side.
00:11:29	And it's been incredibly
00:11:29	frustrating.
00:11:31	Any idea what you can expect
00:11:31	in Lame Duck
00:11:34	is it's going to be a long
00:11:34	session.
00:11:36	Is there going to be
00:11:36	a lot of stuff
00:11:37	that moves,
00:11:37	or is it going to close early?
00:11:41	Well, that's
00:11:41	I think to be determined.
00:11:44	I think there are still
00:11:45	many things on the To-Do list
00:11:45	that should be done.
00:11:49	You know, things
00:11:49	that we could get done
00:11:52	some some low hanging fruit.
00:11:53	I think things again,
00:11:53	that we've got broad
00:11:55	bipartisan consensus on.
00:11:57	You know, there certainly
00:11:57	we are still pushing to make
00:12:00	some progress on the property
00:12:00	tax issue,
00:12:04	providing direct relief,
00:12:04	to property owners.
00:12:08	And I do believe that
00:12:08	that can still get done in.
00:12:11	And it's a choice if we don't,
00:12:11	you know, there are still
00:12:15	some outstanding questions.
00:12:17	In the space of, you know,
00:12:18	how do we move forward
00:12:18	with this Delta eight issue?
00:12:21	That there will be
00:12:21	some debate over, as always,
00:12:25	there will be some sort
00:12:25	of Christmas tree bill
00:12:27	to deal with some,
00:12:27	outstanding budget issues.
00:12:31	And so there's, there's still,
00:12:31	opportunities
00:12:35	to get good things done.
00:12:37	You know, my hope is that,
00:12:37	we don't use lame duck to,
00:12:41	focus on things that really,
00:12:43	at the end of the day,
00:12:43	do not improve people's lives.
00:12:45	And, only, serve to,
00:12:45	put people in conflicts and,
00:12:52	Yeah.
00:12:53	So we'll see.
00:12:53	We'll see how the next
00:12:53	couple of weeks emerge.
00:12:55	One bill that Speaker
00:12:57	Jason Stevens has taken off
00:12:57	the table is Senate Bill 83
00:13:00	that Democrats
00:13:00	were opposed to.
00:13:02	Is that a relief to you?
00:13:05	Well,
00:13:05	I think he's been pretty clear
00:13:07	about his position
00:13:07	on that from the beginning.
00:13:09	So I'm not surprised to see
00:13:09	it completely taken off
00:13:13	the table for this
00:13:13	General Assembly.
00:13:15	I mean, we all anticipated
00:13:15	we will be back next Assembly.
00:13:18	Senator Jerry
00:13:18	Serino says it will be back.
00:13:20	His he's been very clear about
00:13:20	that.
00:13:22	And I will be very clear
00:13:24	that we will remain
00:13:24	very opposed to it.
00:13:28	And pushing back on it.
00:13:29	Senate Bill 83 is the proposal
00:13:29	that conservatives
00:13:32	say would stem what they see
00:13:34	as liberal bias
00:13:34	in Ohio's public universities
00:13:37	and its current
00:13:38	form, Senate Bill 83,
00:13:38	does not ban faculty strikes,
00:13:41	but it does ban most mandatory
00:13:43	diversity,
00:13:43	equity and inclusion
00:13:45	training at publicly funded
00:13:45	universities.
00:13:47	It requires
00:13:48	what's called
00:13:48	intellectual diversity
00:13:50	on topics
00:13:50	spelled out in the legislation
00:13:52	climate policies, electoral
00:13:52	politics, foreign policy,
00:13:56	diversity,
00:13:56	equity and inclusion
00:13:57	programs, immigration policy,
00:13:57	marriage or abortion.
00:14:01	The bill also prohibits
00:14:01	universities
00:14:03	from taking public positions
00:14:03	on controversial topics,
00:14:06	though they can lobby
00:14:06	lawmakers on issues.
00:14:09	It cuts the terms
00:14:09	of university trustees
00:14:11	from nine years to six years,
00:14:11	and it includes a ban
00:14:14	on financial partnerships
00:14:14	with China.
00:14:17	But that doesn't include
00:14:17	tuition from Chinese students.
00:14:20	Stephen said.
00:14:21	Long said Senate Bill
00:14:22	83 did not have the votes
00:14:22	to get through the House.
00:14:25	It passed in a close
00:14:25	vote in a House
00:14:27	committee last year,
00:14:28	and Republican supporters
00:14:30	had hoped to force
00:14:30	a floor vote in June,
00:14:32	but it did not come up
00:14:33	before lawmakers
00:14:33	left for summer break.
00:14:36	Sponsoring Senator Jerry
00:14:37	Serino said he would not meet
00:14:37	with Stevens during the break
00:14:40	to discuss changes that could
00:14:40	get the bill to the floor.
00:14:43	Parts of Senate Bill 83
00:14:43	were folded
00:14:45	into last year's budget,
00:14:47	but they were stripped out
00:14:47	in a conference committee
00:14:50	and with just a few weeks
00:14:50	left in the session,
00:14:52	the bill will not come
00:14:52	to the House floor.
00:14:54	you expect Senate Bill 83 to
00:14:54	be brought to the House for?
00:14:59	No, we're not going to do this
00:14:59	all the way through.
00:15:00	you you said it's not going
00:15:03	to come through the.
00:15:04	Can you tell us why?
00:15:06	Because we're not going to do.
00:15:08	I mean, we've got a lot of
00:15:08	other things
00:15:09	that are a lot more important
00:15:09	than I talked with
00:15:11	sponsoring Republican Senator
00:15:11	Jerry Serino about that.
00:15:14	Well, it's
00:15:14	disappointing to hear that.
00:15:16	I would have preferred
00:15:16	to get some specificity
00:15:16	as to what his issues were.
00:15:20	But look, the bill, is it
00:15:20	important, bill, as I've said,
00:15:23	on your show before.
00:15:25	If the just
00:15:25	because the speaker doesn't
00:15:28	seem to grasp
00:15:28	the importance of this as a,
00:15:30	as a, and needed reform bill
00:15:30	in higher education
00:15:33	in Ohio does not in any way
00:15:33	take away from its value.
00:15:37	And so, we will be pursuing
00:15:37	this in the future.
00:15:40	I will be persistent.
00:15:41	As I've told you before
00:15:41	in making this happen.
00:15:44	And by the way,
00:15:44	I should tell you, a lot of,
00:15:47	our universities
00:15:48	are actually beginning
00:15:48	to adopt some of the policies,
00:15:51	and procedures
00:15:51	in Senate Bill 83,
00:15:54	even though it hasn't
00:15:54	passed out of the House yet.
00:15:56	And so that's a good thing,
00:15:59	but it still needs to be
00:15:59	passed.
00:16:00	It's got about 13
00:16:00	or 14 key reform areas
00:16:04	that are necessary
00:16:05	because higher education
00:16:05	is changing right now in Ohio
00:16:08	and around the country,
00:16:08	for that matter.
00:16:11	We are seeing
00:16:11	a reduced enrollment
00:16:13	in most of our universities
00:16:13	and community colleges.
00:16:16	We're seeing changes
00:16:16	in the workforce,
00:16:18	in the kinds of programs
00:16:18	that are,
00:16:21	necessary to produce the right
00:16:21	workforce here.
00:16:24	And we have a lot of issues
00:16:24	that are causing
00:16:26	our presidents
00:16:26	and boards of trustees
00:16:29	in our public universities
00:16:30	to have to make changes
00:16:30	quickly and adapt to them.
00:16:33	And there's a number of
00:16:34	components in Senate Bill 83
00:16:34	that gives them more authority
00:16:38	to move more quickly,
00:16:38	to respond to changes.
00:16:41	I want to ask you about that.
00:16:42	Earlier this year,
00:16:43	Senate Finance Committee Chair
00:16:44	Matt Dolan was on this show
00:16:44	when he said
00:16:46	that he had talked
00:16:46	to university presidents.
00:16:48	And they've said that
00:16:49	Senate Bill 83 has caused them
00:16:49	to make some changes.
00:16:53	He said it's created, created
00:16:53	behavioral change
00:16:57	is the way he put it.
00:16:58	You also have these,
00:16:58	academic, independent
00:17:01	academic centers
00:17:01	at Ohio State University
00:17:04	of Toledo Law School,
00:17:04	Miami University,
00:17:06	University of Cincinnati,
00:17:06	Cleveland State.
00:17:08	So why is Senate Bill 83
00:17:08	still need?
00:17:10	And what specifically would
00:17:10	you want to see
00:17:13	change
00:17:13	that's not changing, right?
00:17:15	Well,
00:17:15	there are probably two aspects
00:17:17	of 83 that I think
00:17:17	are still necessary.
00:17:19	And in addition
00:17:19	to the civic centers
00:17:21	that, that are opened up.
00:17:22	The five of them in Ohio.
00:17:24	One of them is
00:17:25	there are a number
00:17:25	of administrative tools
00:17:27	that we're giving
00:17:27	the presidents
00:17:28	and the boards of trustees.
00:17:30	In Senate Bill 83.
00:17:32	The other part is that
00:17:32	we really want to reinforce,
00:17:35	the university's commitments
00:17:38	to free speech
00:17:38	and diversity of thought.
00:17:41	And again, those five centers
00:17:41	are going to help
00:17:44	in that regard. Certainly,
00:17:44	but they're not going to.
00:17:47	First of all, it's
00:17:47	only five of our universities.
00:17:48	We have 14 of them,
00:17:48	and 22 community colleges.
00:17:51	So there's there needs to be
00:17:53	a greater adoption
00:17:53	of some of the principles
00:17:56	that we've articulated
00:17:56	in the bill.
00:17:58	But I think the bill is,
00:17:58	is still necessary,
00:18:01	to be able to get Ohio,
00:18:01	you know,
00:18:05	up to date with the changes
00:18:06	going on in
00:18:06	higher education today.
00:18:08	And how do you make
00:18:08	those changes?
00:18:10	I know this question's
00:18:10	been asked for.
00:18:11	How do you do
00:18:14	what you're doing
00:18:14	without censoring, without,
00:18:18	in any way doing the exact
00:18:18	opposite of making free speech
00:18:22	less free?
00:18:22	Well,
00:18:22	this bill, among many bills
00:18:25	that I've been involved in
00:18:26	in my almost four years
00:18:26	now in the Senate,
00:18:29	has has been subjected
00:18:29	to so much misinformation,
00:18:32	some of it
00:18:32	purposeful, for sure.
00:18:34	This bill is about creating
00:18:34	more speech.
00:18:37	It doesn't restrict speech.
00:18:39	When we define in the bill,
00:18:39	controversial subjects,
00:18:44	those are for definition
00:18:44	purposes,
00:18:46	and they are there
00:18:46	to define that.
00:18:49	And they're only examples
00:18:50	because controversial issues
00:18:50	are going to change over time.
00:18:53	Right?
00:18:55	It's that we want
00:18:55	the institutions to be neutral
00:18:58	as they should be.
00:18:59	I just saw an announcement
00:18:59	yesterday
00:19:01	that Vanderbilt University
00:19:01	president has reinforced the
00:19:05	need for their institution
00:19:05	to maintain total neutrality.
00:19:09	Let the students hear
00:19:09	all sides of issues
00:19:12	and let them decide on what
00:19:12	their opinions going to be.
00:19:15	And it's catching on
00:19:15	around the country.
00:19:17	Actually.
00:19:18	And I think, you know,
00:19:18	we're losing ground in Ohio
00:19:20	by letting this bill sit.
00:19:22	And that's why I'm so critical
00:19:23	of the speaker for, for not,
00:19:23	moving this forward.
00:19:26	I think it's an
00:19:27	it would be
00:19:27	an excellent chance
00:19:29	for him to leave
00:19:29	some kind of a legacy
00:19:31	that would be meaningful
00:19:31	versus
00:19:32	being one of the least
00:19:32	productive speaker shifts
00:19:34	that we've had in our history.
00:19:36	Let me just throw out
00:19:36	an example here.
00:19:39	If indeed Senate
00:19:39	Bill 83 were in place,
00:19:41	would students
00:19:41	be able to see both
00:19:43	protests from, say, people
00:19:43	and, entities that support
00:19:47	what's happening with Israel's
00:19:49	actions on Gaza and also
00:19:49	students who are defending
00:19:53	the Palestinians?
00:19:54	Absolutely.
00:19:55	That's what free
00:19:55	speech is in our universities.
00:19:57	Should be, centers
00:19:57	of diversified opinions.
00:20:02	It should be a proving ground
00:20:02	for thoughts.
00:20:05	And and as long as,
00:20:05	as long as demonstrations
00:20:08	are, you know, not dangerous
00:20:08	to some other parties,
00:20:11	or in any way deface or,
00:20:11	you know,
00:20:14	ruin university, properties
00:20:14	and so on.
00:20:18	They're fine.
00:20:19	And everybody
00:20:20	and I think our university
00:20:21	presidents have seen that
00:20:23	that was the case,
00:20:24	particularly
00:20:24	during last spring
00:20:25	when there were
00:20:25	so many demonstrations.
00:20:27	So, it's free
00:20:27	speech is not without limits,
00:20:31	and it cannot endanger
00:20:31	anybody or destroy property.
00:20:35	Certainly.
00:20:36	But everyone is welcome,
00:20:37	whether we like that
00:20:37	opinion or not.
00:20:40	Now, you've said before that,
00:20:40	and you just said
00:20:42	a little while ago
00:20:42	that you intend to pursue
00:20:44	this,
00:20:44	you intend to stay on this.
00:20:47	And you had also said that
00:20:49	if indeed
00:20:49	the bill is reintroduced,
00:20:49	it will be absent
00:20:51	the concessions
00:20:51	that you have made.
00:20:53	So you've made
00:20:54	a couple of concessions
00:20:54	with regard to faculty strikes
00:20:57	and also, diversity,
00:20:57	equity and inclusion grants.
00:21:01	What other concessions
00:21:01	are you not?
00:21:04	But we'll be back
00:21:04	in the next bill.
00:21:05	So the bill that was passed
00:21:06	almost a year ago in
00:21:07	the House was the 11 version
00:21:07	of Senate Bill 83.
00:21:11	So a lot of changes
00:21:11	have been made.
00:21:12	I would categorize them
00:21:12	in two ways.
00:21:14	Some were what I would call
00:21:14	technical and,
00:21:18	fixing
00:21:18	some unintended consequences
00:21:20	that we discovered
00:21:20	after the bill was introduced.
00:21:22	We had a lot of great input.
00:21:24	I did a lot of hearings,
00:21:24	as you recall.
00:21:26	I had a 7.5 hour
00:21:26	hearing one night.
00:21:28	We heard from everybody.
00:21:30	The, entry
00:21:30	University Council, was able
00:21:34	to get a lot of changes that,
00:21:34	they made a good case for.
00:21:38	And we accommodated those.
00:21:39	But then there were others
00:21:39	that were concessions
00:21:41	made in order
00:21:41	to get it through the house.
00:21:44	Those concessions are likely
00:21:44	not to be seen
00:21:47	in the next version.
00:21:48	That I think
00:21:48	the faculty strikes on that
00:21:50	that would be one of them.
00:21:51	And there are a few other
00:21:51	smaller ones, but,
00:21:53	things that we negotiated on,
00:21:56	but without
00:21:56	the ultimate result
00:21:58	that we were looking for,
00:22:00	obviously don't deserve to be
00:22:00	placed back in the new bill.
00:22:03	Senate Minority Leader
00:22:03	Nickie Antonio has said
00:22:05	that you should
00:22:05	consider compromise
00:22:07	should be
00:22:07	because the end result
00:22:08	what's best for everybody,
00:22:08	and it's
00:22:10	what democracy was built on.
00:22:11	Well, I don't know what
00:22:11	compromise she's referring to.
00:22:13	We've
00:22:13	had plenty of opportunities
00:22:15	when this bill was passed
00:22:15	by the Senate,
00:22:17	a year ago in June.
00:22:19	But, you know,
00:22:19	she knows how to reach
00:22:21	me, and I'm willing to listen
00:22:21	to what she has to say.
00:22:25	But I'm not going to sacrifice
00:22:26	the key elements, of what
00:22:26	this bill is intended to do.
00:22:30	I know you've met with
00:22:31	university
00:22:31	trustees. You've had a couple
00:22:33	of symposiums
00:22:33	here at the state House.
00:22:35	You've also met
00:22:35	with University leadership.
00:22:37	Have you met with any groups
00:22:37	representing faculty members?
00:22:40	I have, I have not.
00:22:41	I've had lots of
00:22:41	input from them.
00:22:44	Most of the people who gave
00:22:44	testimony in my 7.5 hour
00:22:47	hearing were faculty members,
00:22:47	most of them from Ohio State.
00:22:50	I've gotten
00:22:50	lots of letters, phone
00:22:52	calls, messages,
00:22:52	some of them pretty nasty.
00:22:54	Many of them very nasty.
00:22:56	And a lot of social media
00:22:56	nastiness,
00:22:57	certainly that's out there,
00:22:57	but that's okay.
00:22:59	So, you know, again,
00:23:02	my point on the no strike
00:23:02	provision is simply this.
00:23:05	When a student pays in advance
00:23:05	for their semester tuition,
00:23:10	that is a contract
00:23:11	between them
00:23:11	and the university
00:23:13	and therefore
00:23:13	the state of Ohio.
00:23:15	And nothing should interrupt
00:23:15	that, product
00:23:18	from being delivered to them.
00:23:20	The instruction
00:23:20	that is the product.
00:23:22	Certainly not something
00:23:22	that involves
00:23:24	the faculty union looking
00:23:24	to get a better dental plan.
00:23:28	Okay.
00:23:30	Negotiating in contracts
00:23:32	and labor organizations,
00:23:32	they're just fine.
00:23:33	I don't have a problem
00:23:33	with those.
00:23:35	I've successfully dealt
00:23:35	with labor in my business
00:23:38	career in the past.
00:23:40	But the student is first.
00:23:42	And students,
00:23:43	if they pay
00:23:43	for their instruction,
00:23:44	nothing should get in the way
00:23:46	of delivering
00:23:46	that instruction to them.
00:23:48	I have heard
00:23:48	it said that
00:23:48	if indeed Senate Bill 83
00:23:50	does not pass
00:23:50	by the end of lame duck,
00:23:52	that could be the worst
00:23:52	possible scenario for colleges
00:23:55	and universities because of
00:23:55	what may come follow.
00:23:59	Well,
00:23:59	I believe it would be the best
00:24:00	possible circumstance,
00:24:00	outcome.
00:24:02	Because again,
00:24:02	I think this bill,
00:24:04	if people take the time
00:24:04	to really go through it
00:24:06	and read it and understand it,
00:24:08	that that they will see
00:24:09	that our intent from
00:24:09	the very beginning was to make
00:24:13	Ohio's universities
00:24:13	and community colleges better.
00:24:17	And that's what I continue
00:24:17	to believe.
00:24:19	With Senate Bill 83,
00:24:21	The opposition to Senate
00:24:21	Bill 83 has been fierce.
00:24:24	Hundreds of faculty members,
00:24:24	students and others
00:24:27	have testified
00:24:28	against the bill,
00:24:29	saying it would have
00:24:29	a chilling effect
00:24:30	on free speech and expression
00:24:30	and could hurt Ohio's ability
00:24:34	to attract top professors,
00:24:34	researchers and students.
00:24:37	One notable protest
00:24:37	at the statehouse last year
00:24:40	featured a funeral
00:24:40	for free speech.
00:24:43	Labor unions
00:24:43	and the Ohio Conference
00:24:45	of the American Association
00:24:45	of University
00:24:47	Professors are among
00:24:47	the groups
00:24:49	that have promised
00:24:49	to fight it.
00:24:51	In other news, this week,
00:24:51	the Republican led Ohio
00:24:53	Ballot Board
00:24:53	cleared the way for backers
00:24:55	of an amendment
00:24:56	to repeal required voter photo
00:24:56	ID and other elections laws
00:25:00	to start gathering
00:25:00	the signatures
00:25:02	needed to put the issue
00:25:02	onto the ballot.
00:25:05	The board decided the Ohio
00:25:05	Organizing Collaborative
00:25:07	will only have to circulate
00:25:09	petitions for one issue
00:25:09	instead of multiple issues.
00:25:12	The Ohio Voter's
00:25:12	Bill of rights
00:25:14	would allow same day voter
00:25:14	registration in Ohio,
00:25:17	expand rights to early
00:25:18	in-person voting, and set up
00:25:18	no excuse absentee voting.
00:25:22	It would allow more than one
00:25:22	ballot drop box per county,
00:25:26	and would allow
00:25:26	the use of photo IDs issued
00:25:28	by educational institutions,
00:25:28	including universities.
00:25:32	The group is not sure
00:25:32	when it will
00:25:33	start gathering signatures,
00:25:34	or whether they're aiming for
00:25:34	the ballot in 2025 or 2026,
00:25:39	and that is it for this week
00:25:39	for my colleagues
00:25:41	at the Statehouse News
00:25:41	Bureau of Ohio Public Media.
00:25:43	Thanks for watching.
00:25:44	Please
00:25:44	check out our website at State
00:25:46	News Talk or find us online
00:25:47	by searching the State of Ohio
00:25:47	Show.
00:25:50	You can also hear more
00:25:50	from the Bureau
00:25:51	on our podcast,
00:25:51	the Ohio State House scoop.
00:25:54	Look for it
00:25:54	every Monday morning
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00:25:55	you get your podcasts,
00:25:57	and please join us again next
00:25:57	time for the state of Ohio.
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Note : Transcripts are compiled from uncorrected captions