A Republican state lawmaker wants to create what he calls an enforcement mechanism to ensure Ohio's public colleges and universities are complying with Senate Bill 1. That’s the law that bans most required diversity programs and faculty strikes, shortens trustee terms and requires so-called “intellectual diversity” on certain subjects as well as a civics course focused on United States history and the free market.
But the group that represents university professors and faculty said House Bill 698 politicizes higher education and threatens the stability and reputation of Ohio's colleges and universities.
HB 698, also known as the Senate Bill 1 Compliance Act, would withhold state share of instruction funds from any state college or university not in compliance with certification, employee reassignment and cost cutting under SB 1.
“This is not a punitive act of legislation. It's accountability legislation," said its sponsor, Rep. Tom Young (R-Washington Twp.)
And Young said in his bill, the money would be withheld for the full fiscal year, not just until compliance is assured.
"If the university is not in compliance as it goes forward, then there will be a decision on how to hold back funds. And once those answers are corrected and the compliance issues are corrected the funds will flow, but it won't be retroactive to the beginning in this legislation," Young said.
When asked if that means the funds would be withheld for the entire fiscal year, Young said, "Yes, that's correct. Only after compliance. That's the way the bill's written today."
Young said this doesn’t impose automatic funding cuts and he believes university presidents are working on compliance, but he’s concerned that some are, in his words, “just checking the box”.
"I've met with many people over the summer who have brought concerns to me as well as other legislators, some in administration, some from students. There's still this attitude or this feeling in higher education that people are afraid for their jobs. That's messed up," Young said. When pressed for more details, Young said some of those he's met with are professors and some are students.
The group that represents university professors and faculty in Ohio opposed SB 1, and is very concerned about HB 698.
"There's no need for this bill. The ink is hardly dry on Senate Bill 1," said Jennifer Price, executive director of the Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors. “To claim there's noncompliance is truly ludicrous. There's just not that information out there to even make that statement.”
Senate Finance Chair Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), the sponsor of SB 1, has also said that he also wasn't sure the bill was needed at this point. But Young said he's not sure Cirino has seen the final version of his bill.
Price said HB 698 targets employees and erodes tenure protections, and complying with it will cost universities millions of dollars that could be used better for instructional purposes. And she said it threatens the financial future of higher ed institutions, along with their reputations.
"I don't know how colleges and universities can plan when funding is at the whim of politicians—so funding that you are given in the budget and then to find out that you're not going to get it," Price said. "That really harms the stability of our colleges and universities."
"There will be there will come a point that the legislature continues to do this, that our top universities and colleges will not be considered top university and colleges," Price added.
HB 698 had its first hearing on Tuesday.
