Jerry Cirino

Vivek Ramaswamy, an Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate, initially proposed closing 'subpar' universities but later clarified his stance to closing specific programs within institutions. He faced bipartisan backlash for his comments, including criticism from within his own party, and emphasized consolidating programs to reduce costs and improve regional education quality.

Ohio GOP lawmakers established university civics centers to counter 'liberal bias,' but low student enrollment has prompted calls to mandate attendance. Legislation like S.B. 1 bans Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and requires civics courses, facing criticism as indoctrination from students and professors.

An Ohio state senator introduced a bill to grant five Ohio civic centers more autonomy by allowing them to operate as independent university colleges, including curriculum control and hiring authority. The bill, Senate Bill 461, requires students at universities with centers to take a course through the center and would allocate all tuition and revenue to the centers.

A constitutional amendment to eliminate property taxes in Ohio failed to secure enough signatures to appear on the November 2023 ballot. Campaign organizers, including Brian Massie of AxOHTax, will refocus efforts on 2027, while opponents argue abolishing property taxes would force drastic government cuts or higher other taxes.