New Ohio Senate Bill Aims to Legislate Higher Education Viewpoints, Expanding State Control Over Curriculum
A new Ohio Senate bill, S.B. 461, introduced by State Senator Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland), seeks to legislate viewpoints in higher education, further expanding the state's control over curriculum. This bill follows Senate Bill 1, which mandated civics courses to include specific readings, but S.B. 461 goes further by granting an Ohio Civics Board 'sole and exclusive authority over all aspects of American civic literacy courses,' including course modality, syllabi, class size, faculty teachers, and content. Senator Cirino has openly stated his intention to 'close the loophole' that he believes allows professors to teach versions of American history that are not sufficiently 'patriotic,' aiming to ensure specific viewpoints are taught. 
