Ohio

Group behind effort to repeal Ohio Senate Bill 1, anti-DEI law, facing ballot deadline

Published

6 months ago

June 18, 2025

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Group behind effort to repeal Ohio Senate Bill 1, anti-DEI law, facing ballot deadline

Opponents of a higher education bill that bans diversity, equity and inclusion on campus are in the final week of collecting signatures to put referendum on the November ballot

Opponents of Senate Bill 1, which bans diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives on college campuses, are gathering signatures to put the law to a referendum.
They need roughly 250,000 valid signatures to get the referendum on the November ballot.
The effort is entirely volunteer-based and has garnered support from unions, Democratic groups, and pro-LGBTQ organizations.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jerry Cirino, doubts referendum backers will succeed, while organizers express optimism.

Opponents of a sweeping higher education bill that bans diversity, equity and inclusion on Ohio campuses are in their final week of collecting signatures to block the law at the ballot box.

“I’m cautiously optimistic” about collecting the needed signatures to make the November ballot, said Mark Vopat, president of Youngstown State University’s faculty union, which has led the charge for a referendum vote on Senate Bill 1. “I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of support.”

In late March, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 1, a massive higher education overhaul that would ban DEI programs on campus, ban faculty strikes, limit the power of tenure, prevent higher education institutions from taking positions on “controversial beliefs or policies,” and make other changes.

Most newly signed laws can be put to a vote of Ohioans, a process called a referendum. To make the November ballot, Senate Bill 1 opponents must collect 248,092 valid signatures, or 6% of the votes in the last governor’s race, by June 25. They also must submit a specific number from at least 44 counties.

Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, who championed the bill, remains skeptical that volunteers will collect enough signatures. “That’s a pretty high hurdle. I’m not expecting that they will make it,” he said.

Vopat said about 1,600 people are collecting signatures across Ohio to defeat Senate Bill 1. They have obtained signatures from voters in 84 of Ohio’s 88 counties, he added.

All of the signature collectors are volunteers − a rarity for Ohio ballot campaigns, which often hire paid staff to collect signatures and ensure they don’t include duplicates or missing information. Ballot efforts nearly always submit more than the required number to account for these errors.

“This is the definition of grassroots,” said Vopat, citing more than 40 unions, Democratic groups and pro-LGBTQ organizations that are backing the Senate Bill 1 repeal.

Over the weekend, volunteers collected signatures at the 2025 Stonewall Columbus Pride March and “No Kings” protests opposing President Donald Trump’s policies. On their website, ohsb1petition.com, Senate Bill 1 opponents list dozens of other events where voters can sign their petition.

Vopat said they plan to turn in signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office on June 25.

Senate Bill 1 would be put on hold while signatures are counted and, if they have enough signatures, until the November vote. If the referendum makes the ballot, voters would have a chance to either approve or reject it.

State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@gannett.com or @jbalmert on X.

What are your thoughts on Ohio Senate Bill 1?

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Ohio

After her son died in car wreck, Ohio mom fought for public records

Published

5 hours ago

December 19, 2025

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After her son died in car wreck, Ohio mom fought for public records

A mom searching for answers about her son’s death in a car wreck won a victory on Dec. 19 when the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the Richland County Sheriff to release records to her.

The court ruled in a unanimous decision that Andrea Mauk is entitled to three sets of records withheld by the sheriff, with only Social Security numbers being redacted. Mauk will be awarded $2,000 in damages but will not receive attorney fees.

On June 23, 2023, 18-year-old Damon Mauk lost control of his 1998 Ford Mustang and slammed it into a tree. His mother wanted to piece together what happened, collect his belongings and grieve the loss of her child. She didn’t think she’d have to fight for public records and take her case to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Following the crash, Richland County Sheriff’s deputies, a township fire department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded.

During the investigation, a trooper told a deputy to leave Damon’s iPhone and wallet in the car, according to Mauk’s court filings. Instead, the deputy took the belongings to the hospital and handed them off to someone who said he was Damon’s dad.

Mauk didn’t understand. Damon’s father was largely absent from his life. How could he have been there to pick up the wallet and phone?

A few weeks after the fatal crash, Mauk asked for records, including: the sheriff’s report and inventory of items taken from the car, body camera footage from deputies who gave away the belongings, the report, photos and videos created by the patrol and more.

Mauk, of the Mansfield area, received some but not all of the requested records. Mauk hired attorney Brian Bardwell to pursue records she believes exist but weren’t provided or were improperly redacted.

The sheriff’s office claimed that some of the requested records were exempt from disclosure because they are confidential law enforcement records or personal notes. The court privately reviewed the records withheld from Mauk and determined that they should be released.

The decision in favor of releasing records runs contrary to recent rulings from the high court.

In 2024, the court held that the cost of sending troopers to protect Gov. Mike DeWine at a Super Bowl game weren’t subject to disclosure and that the Ohio Department of Health should redact from a database the names and addresses of Ohioans who had died, even though that death certificate information can be released on an individual case basis.

In 2025 the court ruled that police officers’ names may be kept confidential if they’re attacked on the job, giving them privacy rights afforded to crime victims.

State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@usatodayco.com and @lbischoff on X.

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Ohio

No. 21 Ohio State women beat Norfolk State 79-45

Published

17 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

No. 21 Ohio State women beat Norfolk State 79-45

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kylee Kitts scored 13 points, Jaloni Cambridge added 11 and No. 21 Ohio State rolled past Norfolk State 79-45 on Thursday night for its eighth straight win.

Dasha Biriuk added 10 points for Ohio State, which is 10-1 overall and 7-0 at home.

Kitts was 6 of 12 from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with two steals and two blocks. Cambridge was 4-of-8 shooting and had eight rebounds and two steals.

Cambridge scored seven points in the first quarter as the Buckeyes jumped out to a 20-10 lead and built a 43-21 halftime advantage. Kitts and Cambridge each scored nine first-half points.

Ohio State outrebounded Norfolk State 55-32 and scored 21 points off 17 turnovers.

Jasha Clinton scored 18 points to lead Norfolk State (5-9). Ciara Bailey had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Up next

Norfolk State plays at Elon on Sunday.

Ohio State hosts Western Michigan on Mondahy.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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Ohio

Menards to pay 10 states, including Ohio, $4.25 million in rebate settlement

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Menards to pay 10 states, including Ohio, .25 million in rebate settlement

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio is part of a multistate lawsuit settlement against home improvement store Menards.

According to the state Attorney General’s Office, Ohio and nine other states reached the settlement with Menards, a Wisconsin-based home-improvement retail store, over allegations of deceptive rebate advertising.

The 10-state led investigation revealed that Menards would give shoppers the impression that they were getting an immediate discount while shopping through its advertising, when in fact, savings actually came in the form of a rebate or in-store credit.

The investigation raised concerns with Menards’ marketing strategy and sales practices, alleging the following of the company:

Advertised 11% off or 11% off everything that suggested an instant price cut, even though customers received only a rebate on future purchases.
Listed prices already at an 11% discount, reinforcing the idea that shoppers were getting an in-store discount.
Failed to clearly explain the important limits of the rebate program, burying key details in the fine print.
Tell customers that Rebates International was a separate company handling rebates, even though it is operated by Menards itself.

The settlement, announced Thursday, included an agreement by Menards that it would, in part, discontinue ads suggesting immediate discounts, clearly explaining the rules, limits, and conditions of its rebate program, and offer customers an easier path towards claiming rebates, both in person and online, among other changes.

In addition, Menards will pay participating states $4.25 million in fees, of which $365,173.05 will go toward the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Enforcement Fund.

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