On the eve of the Ohio Senate Education Committee’s last scheduled lame-duck session, Tuesday had not yet passed House Bill 8known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights” for supporters and the “Don’t Say You’re Gay” law for opponents. The bill would also require school districts to create a policy for releasing students for religious education classes.
Once convened, chairman of the Senate Education Committee State Sen. Andrew Brenner, D-Delaware, immediately urged the committee to adjourn Tuesday afternoon, saying he planned to call the committee to set the agenda on Wednesday morning.
At Tuesday’s meeting, two bills were voted on – HB 8 and House Bill 206that would allow school districts to adopt a policy of expelling a student who poses an “immediate and substantial threat” to the safety of students or school staff for 180 days, and possibly even longer.
“We continue to engage with various colleagues in both chambers, as well as the leadership of both chambers and the governor’s office, on these bills and continue to work on them,” he added. Brenner he told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. “We’re still working on HB 206 in principle, we’re looking at the amendments that we’re discussing between both houses, and I think we’ve reached agreement on House Bill 8 as well.”
Brenner wouldn’t say what the hurdles are with either bill.
“I can’t tell you what we’re discussing,” he said.
Brenner said the chances are “very high” that both bills will be moved out of committee and go to the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon for the last scheduled session of the Senate General Assembly.
House Bill 8
State Reps. DJ Swearingen, R-Huron, and Sara Carruthers, R-Hamilton, introduced HB 8 last year.
Bill would force teachers to disclose students’ sexuality to parents, and they would Require public schools to provide parents with advance notice of sexually explicit material and provide them with the opportunity to request alternative instruction.
State Representative Jamie Callender, R-Concord, was the only Republican to vote against the bill when it passed the Ohio House of Representatives last summer.
The Senate Education Committee added Amendment to the bill regarding the time of religious exemption last week.
“Frankly, I think it would be better if we had a uniform state policy,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told reporters last week when asked about the religious exemption timing policy.
Ohio law currently allows school district boards of education to adopt policies allowing students to take religious education classes, but this would change the wording in the Ohio Revised Code from “may” to “shall” – meaning it would be a mandate for school districts in Ohio.
If the bill is rejected by the Senate Education Committee and the Senate passes it, the Ohio House would have to agree to changes to the bill before it reaches DeWine’s desk. The Ohio House is also in session on Wednesday, with a session scheduled for Thursday morning if necessary.
Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, was noncommittal onhen asked whether HB 8 would have enough votes to allow the House to agree to add a policy regarding the timing of religious content.
“We’ll have to see,” he said. “Especially during lame duck, it’s difficult to say what and if because everything can change so quickly. So we’ll see what the Senate will do.[…]”It’s a very fluid situation in terms of what actually comes out, and that will give us time, if we adjourn (Wednesday), for whatever the Senate votes for us to be able to talk about it.”
Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, also expressed uncertainty when asked about possible approval of HB 8 based on conversations she has had with GOP leaders in the House.
“I don’t know,” she said. “There was a discussion about the LifeWise Act and what version of it would come out of the Senate committee. I maintain that we oppose this legislation. We strongly believe that these decisions should be left to local school districts and communities to have a say in what best meets the needs of their communities and student populations.”
Expulsions from school
State Reps. Gary Click, R-Vickery, and Monica Robb Blasdel, R-Columbiana, introduced HB206which passed the House earlier this month. Fifteen Democrats, including Russo, voted against the bill.
“My main concern is how we address the disproportionate impact of expulsions, particularly on children of color and students of color, and the bill does not appear to provide sufficient safeguards to address this issue and concern,” she said.
On Monday, a 15-year-old high school student brought a gun to her school in Wisconsin and fatally shot a student and a teacher. Several others were injured.
School closures
Brenner told reporters his bill that would change automatic school closure language in Ohio automatically close Ohio schools that perform poorly he is dead.
“This bill is no longer on the table,” Brenner said, but did not explain why. The bill was not scheduled for a vote.
SB 295 defines a low-performing school as a school, serving fourth grades and older, that has been ranked in the bottom 5 percent of public schools on its performance index for three consecutive years. A school will also be considered an underperforming school if it is in the bottom 10% based on its value-added progress for three consecutive years.
This is the last week of the General Assembly’s two-year cycle, which means any bill that does not pass and be signed into law will fall through and will have to be reintroduced in the next General Assembly.
Follow the OCJ reporter Megan Henry in Bluesky.
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