Connect with us

Ohio

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

Published

on

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

play

Advertisement
  • 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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

What are your thoughts on Ohio Senate Bill 1?



Source link

Ohio

Ex-husband arrested in deaths of Ohio dentist and his wife | CNN

Published

on

Ex-husband arrested in deaths of Ohio dentist and his wife | CNN


The ex-husband of Monique Tepe has been arrested in connection with the killings of the mother and her husband Spencer Tepe, a respected dentist, in their Ohio home last week, Columbus police said Saturday.

Michael David McKee, 39, who court records identify as Monique Tepe’s ex-husband, is in custody in Winnebago County, Illinois, according to inmate records with the sheriff’s office.

McKee is scheduled to appear in court Monday, records show. He was arrested on two counts of murder in the killings on Saturday, an incident report shows, and was taken into custody “without incident” in Rockford, Illinois, police said.

Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39, were found dead with apparent gunshot wounds on December 30 in their house in Columbus. The couple’s two children, ages 4 and 1, were also inside but were not physically harmed, police said.

Advertisement

The arrest marks a major development in the case after the suspect in the couple’s killings remained on the loose for more than 10 days, during which police released scant details on the investigation.

Police said Saturday they will release further information “as appropriate” to avoid compromising the “active and ongoing case progress” and urged people to contact them with any information related to the tragedy.

Authorities did not find any obvious signs of forced entry or any firearm at the scene, CNN affiliate WSYX reported.

Colleagues in Spencer Tepe’s dental practice called 911 after he uncharacteristically didn’t show up to work. One of Tepe’s friends went to the couple’s house, peered inside and saw a gruesome scene next to a bed, according to emergency dispatch audio.

“There’s … there’s a body,” the friend told 911. “Our friend wasn’t answering his phone. We just did a wellness check. We just came here. And he appears dead.”

Advertisement

Asked if Tepe had been ill, the friend responded, “No, no. I was just with him yesterday.”

The couple’s two children and dog are now in the care of relatives, the Tepes’ brother-in-law said.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Ohio

Ohio high school girls basketball scores: Friday, Jan. 9, 2026

Published

on

Ohio high school girls basketball scores: Friday, Jan. 9, 2026


CLEVELAND, Ohio — OHSAA girls basketball scores from Friday in Ohio, as provided by The Associated Press.

Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, Mich. 43, Notre Dame Academy 35

Baltimore Liberty Union 47, Cols. Hamilton Twp. 34

Berlin Center Western Reserve 68, N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 46

Advertisement

Blanchester 40, Bethel-Tate 37

Chagrin Falls 37, Burton Berkshire 32

Circleville 62, Amanda-Clearcreek 40

Cle. Hay 88, Cle. Glenville 2

Cols. Centennial 78, Columbus International 50

Advertisement

Cols. Linden-McKinley 54, Cols. Whetstone 28

Cols. Walnut Ridge 73, Cols. Marion-Franklin 12

Delaware Buckeye Valley 50, CSG 43

Delta 48, Bryan 44

Dublin Coffman 47, Cols. Upper Arlington 39

Advertisement

Hilliard Darby 43, Thomas Worthington 32

Johnstown 47, Johnstown Northridge 41

Mason 54, Cin. Colerain 32

Newark 56, Ashville Teays Valley 42

Oak Harbor 52, Millbury Lake 31

Advertisement

Ohio Deaf 50, Ky. School for the Deaf, Ky. 9

Pemberville Eastwood 65, Rossford 35

Pickerington North 41, New Albany 33

Springboro 66, Centerville 33

Stryker 54, Montpelier 20

Advertisement

W. Chester Lakota W. 76, Fairfield 24

Wauseon 55, Swanton 13

Western Reserve Academy 65, Lawrenceville School, N.J. 33

Westerville Cent. 57, Grove City Cent. Crossing 20

Worthington Christian 57, Tree of Life 16

Advertisement

Zanesville 58, Newark Licking Valley 40



Source link

Continue Reading

Ohio

Ohio State students hone academic, business skills through study abroad programs

Published

on

Ohio State students hone academic, business skills through study abroad programs


Students across various majors at The Ohio State University recently gathered at the Fisher College of Business to discuss how study abroad opportunities have helped them hone skills that will benefit their studies and chosen career paths.

Fisher’s Office of Global Business and its Office of Advancement hosted the inaugural Global Experience Luncheon. The event was held at the Blackwell Inn on the Columbus campus.

The luncheon brought together alumni who have donated to study abroad programs with students who have participated in them, said Dominic DiCamillo, senior director of the Office of Global Business.

“We were excited to partner with Advancement for the first time to facilitate this type of personal connection. The families that have created these endowments, oftentimes, they hoped it would have some sort of positive impact,” he said. “This is the first time for them to hear firsthand from the students who recently participated.”

Advertisement

Xin Lin, a third-year finance student, shared her experiences studying abroad in Hamburg, Germany, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. While in Germany in summer 2024, Lin completed the Fisher Freshman Global Lab with Professor Michael Knemeyer and studied at the Kühne Logistics University.

During Lin’s semester in Germany, her cohort toured the facilities of several international companies, including the Mercedes-Benz auto manufacturer, Seven Senders logistics enterprise, and Jack Wolfskin outdoor apparel.

“This was my first time being in Europe,” she said. “It was a really eye-opening experience and taught me to be curious about exploring other cultures, which is why I made the decision to study abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand.”

This past summer in Chiang Mai, Lin completed the competitive Fisher Global Consulting: Nonprofit program, which is funded by an endowment established by Chris Connor, a 1978 Ohio State alumnus, and his wife, Sara. The participating students, called Connor Scholars, gain firsthand insights into the cultures and business practices of countries in developing regions worldwide.

“We were there for two weeks working on the sustainability and the marketing for the local elephant foundation, as well as to support the villagers,” she said. “And my team and I, we worked on the sustainability curriculum for the local school.”

Advertisement

Lin said participating in study abroad programs sharpened her decision-making and problem-solving skills.

“Leveraging these experiences has strengthened my understanding of international business and macroeconomics,” she said. “Most importantly, it is the growth mindset and the endless learning that these experiences have taught me, and I’m really excited to be carrying these values into my future career and my academic journey.”

Jacob Brodson, a fourth-year marketing major, said participating in the Fisher Global Marketing Lab in Taiwan this past summer was “a transformational, life-changing trip.”

Jacob Brodson (center) said he met more than 25 Ohio State alumni in Taiwan.“If you can go to someplace that’s so fundamentally different from what we experience here on a day-to-day basis, you should absolutely take the opportunity to,” he said. “And Taiwan is that opportunity.”

Brodson said studying marketing and visiting 10 companies in Taiwan gave him a broader perspective on business practices in different countries.

“We went to TSMC, which is the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. That’s the 10th largest company in the world that you probably have never heard of, but they make all the phone and computer chips that are in your cellphones,” he said. “It was an unbelievable experience to see that.”

Advertisement

Brodson and his classmates also toured a Kenda Tire facility.

“They actually do a lot of marketing at Ohio State sporting events because their U.S. headquarters is out in Reynoldsburg,” Brodson said. “We got to see their entire manufacturing plant in Taiwan.”

Brodson said he was pleasantly surprised to discover a Buckeye community overseas. He met more than 25 Ohio State alumni throughout Taiwan.

“We are halfway across the world and yet the most beautiful thing is that there are still reminders of home. We’re halfway across the country and there are still Buckeyes there,” he said. “That is one of the coolest things – seeing the Ohio State alumni and the fact that this Buckeye tradition transcends countries.”

Advertisement

';




Source link

Continue Reading

Trending