COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Ohio Senate bill would ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in Ohio’s traditional public, charter and STEM schools.

Senate Bill 113 would prohibit schools from continuing or establishing DEI departments or offices, from using DEI in job descriptions, from requiring DEI training, or from contracting with consultants whose role would be promoting or hiring diverse people.

The bill also requires schools to establish complaint processes to hear student, parent or employee grievances about violations of the DEI ban.

The bill comes as legislation barring DEI at the college level also progresses in the General Assembly, having passed the Ohio Senate less than a month after it was introduced.

READ MORE: Ohio Senate passes bill targeting liberal ‘indoctrination’ on college campuses

At the federal level, President Donald Trump has issued several executive orders banning DEI and instructing schools to give students a “patriotic” education. This has Ohio’s colleges assessing their programs, and in some cases, cutting them.

READ MORE: Ohio State to cut DEI programs, citing Trump orders and state legislation

State Sen. Andrew Brenner, a Delaware County Republican who is sponsoring the legislation, said Tuesday afternoon during legislative testimony that the focus on equity undermines people’s hard work and merit.

“DEI does not stand for diversity, equity and inclusion,” Brenner said. “It stands for division, exclusion and indoctrination. It is unconstitutional, unfair and directly contradicts the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. And we must stand against these policies and ensure that our schools teach students to rise based on their abilities, not their racial identity.”

This led to a clash with state Sen. Catherine Ingram, a Cincinnati Democrat, who challenged Brenner’s understanding of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Brenner “believes that Martin Luther King said this is to be merit,” she said. “And what he said was he had a dream that one day, one day, not then and certainly not now, that we are equitable… Unfortunately for a very long time, certain groups of people started far behind the starting line.”

Brenner replied that, “DEI is really about a redistribution of wealth, period. It does put people in classes. That is clearly obvious from everything that is going on in higher ed and in K-12. And what it’s doing is saying some people are privileged and some other people are not, and you must recognize that. And regardless of whether or not we are working hard… it’s trying to do is trying to redistribute wealth and come out with an equal outcome.”

Brenner said he believed King was asking society to give everyone an opportunity “to advance and become successful and live on their own and be able to raise a family and not be harassed over things.”

State Sen. Kent Smith, a Euclid Democrat, said he was concerned the hyperfocus on DEI would cause harm. Sometimes, districts look for a disabled athlete to coach an adaptive track and field team, which the Ohio High School Athletic Association deemed a sport in 2013, he said.

“So my concern is that in this effort to clear DEI out of public schools, whether or not we’re going to inadvertently hurt populations that perhaps you hadn’t considered,” he said.

Laura Hancock covers state government and politics for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Bruce Thornton scored 29 points and had nine assists to lead five in double figures and Ohio State beat Nebraska 116-114 in double overtime on Tuesday night.

Thornton and Micah Parrish each made a 3-pointer and scored five points in the second overtime to help give the Buckeyes a 116-111 lead with about three seconds left. Brice Williams hit from deep for the Cornhuskers to end it.

Ohio State (17-13, 9-10 Big Ten) has won consecutive games since ending a three-game skid. Nebraska (17-13, 7-12) has lost four straight and five of its last six.

Parrish shot 5 of 11 from long range and finished with 22 points. Devin Royal also scored 22 points for the Buckeyes. John Mobley Jr. added 20 points and Sean Stewart chipped in with 13. Thornton and Mobley each made three 3s.

Williams made five 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 43 points on 16-of-29 shooting to lead Nebraska. Juwan Gary added 24 points, Connor Essegian had 16 and Andrew Morgan 14.

Ohio State led by as many as 11 points early in the second half, but Nebraska ended regulation on a 9-2 surge to force the first extra period tied 89-all. Thornton and Parrish each hit a 3-pointer in a 7-2 closing spurt to force a second overtime knotted at 99.

Ohio State plays at Indiana on Saturday and Nebraska hosts Iowa on Sunday in regular-season finales.

Vivek Ramaswamy leads other Republicans in the Ohio gubernatorial primary, according to a new poll.

Why It Matters

Ramaswamy rose to national prominence during his 2024 presidential bid. Although he did not win enough support against President Donald Trump, he still gained name recognition and became popular with Republican voters. He was initially picked to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) but is not involved.

The Ohio governor race will give him a chance to win elected office.

The once-battleground state has zoomed toward Republicans over the past decade, backing Trump by just over 11 points last November. But Democrats are hopeful they can make the gubernatorial race competitive, particularly if Trump’s approval rating continues to drop over the next several months.

What to Know

A majority of Ohio Republicans are leaning toward backing Ramaswamy next year, according to the latest poll from Bowling Green State University released last Friday.

Ramaswamy had support from 61 percent of Republican respondents, while Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost placed second at 24 percent. No other candidates polled in the double digits.

The poll surveyed 800 registered Ohio voters conducted from February 14 to February 21, 2025. It had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

It is in line with other early polls showing Ramaswamy with a lead. For example, a poll conducted by National Public Affairs, between February 2 and 5 among 602 likely Republican primary voters, showed Ramaswamy leading the ballot with 46 percent to Yost’s 18 percent. An additional 34 percent said they weren’t sure who they’d vote for.

Newsweek reached out to both Ramaswamy and Yost campaigns for comment via email.

On the Democratic side, the latest poll suggested former Senator Sherrod Brown would be the frontrunner if he runs.

Fifty-nine percent of Democrats said they’d vote for him, compared to 17 percent who said they’d back former Representative Tim Ryan and 20 percent who said they’d vote for Amy Acton, former director of the Ohio Department of Health.

In a scenario where Brown doesn’t run, Democrats were more split—45 percent said they’d back Ryan, while 46 percent said they’d vote for Acton.

The poll did not include a question about the general election.

What People Are Saying

Donald Trump said in a post on X: “VIVEK RAMASWAMY is running for Governor of the Great State of Ohio. I know him well, competed against him, and he is something SPECIAL. He’s Young, Strong, and Smart! Vivek is also a very good person, who truly loves our Country. He will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio, will never let you down, and has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”

What Happens Next

Ohio voters will choose a new governor in 2026, and in the months ahead, Ramaswamy will focus on winning over conservative voters and securing key endorsements.