A veto referendum effort has been launched to repeal Ohio Senate Bill 1, a law that would change state higher education policies, including prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. If the referendum qualifies for the November 2025 ballot and is approved by voters, SB 1 would be repealed.

SB 1 is designed to prohibit DEI programs, training, and offices unless they are required by federal or state law, accreditation standards, or grant conditions. It also bans faculty strikes, requires public institutions to remain neutral on controversial public policy issues, requires universities to publish course syllabi and instructor biographies online, and mandates disclosure of payments over $500 to guest speakers. It would also establish a mandatory American civic literacy course, starting in the year 2030, that must be approved by the state’s chancellor of higher education. It would eliminate undergraduate degree programs that confer fewer than five degrees annually over a three-year period.

SB 1 passed the Ohio House 59-34 and the Senate 20-11. In the Ohio State House, 59 Republicans voted for SB 1, while 31 Democrats and 3 Republicans opposed it. In the State Senate, 20 Republicans supported SB 1, while nine Democrats and two Republicans voted against it. SB 1 was signed by Gov. Mike DeWine (R) on March 28, 2025, and is scheduled to take effect on June 27, 2025.

Organizations supporting SB 1 include the National Association of Scholars and the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. Organizations opposing SB 1 include the Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio Student Association, Ohio Faculty Council, Undergraduate Student Governments of Ohio, the Ohio Education Association, and the Ohio AFL-CIO.

In support of SB 1, State Rep. Josh Williams (R-44) said, “[SB 1] is a crucial step in ensuring that college campuses remain spaces for open debate, intellectual diversity, and fairness. Students should feel free to ask questions, challenge ideas, and express their perspectives without fear of retaliation. This bill safeguards free speech rights, preventing professors from penalizing students for holding opposing views. It ensures that classrooms remain places for genuine discussion, where all topics can be explored as long as multiple viewpoints are allowed.”

State Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-4) spoke in opposition to SB 1, saying, “It is unconscionable that such a sweeping overhaul of Higher Education has been written with NO input from the three constituent groups who matter the most on this topic – students, parents and educators … At a basic level, this legislation is not the answer to a concern. It is reckless in the sweeping impact it will have by attacking working people, muzzling free speech, trampling student rights, BIG government overreach and destroying our economy.”

For the veto referendum to qualify for the ballot in Ohio, proponents must collect at least 248,092 valid signatures, which equals 6% of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election. In Ohio, signatures for veto referendums are due 90 days after the targeted law was signed, which means proponents have until June 26, 2025, to submit signatures. Ohio Attorney General David Yost (R) approved the title and summary of the measure on May 5, 2025, and certified the referendum to begin signature collection.

The last veto referendum in Ohio was in 2011, when voters rejected Issue 2 by a margin of 62% to 38%. Issue 2 repealed Senate Bill 5, which was legislation that limited collective bargaining for public employees in the state.