Late Wednesday evening, June 26, Ohio Republicans led by Rep. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) amended the bill to College Credit Plus Program.
Senate Bill (SB) 104 – formally titled “The College Credit Plus Bill” – was first introduced by Jerry C. Cirino (R-Kirtland) and Andrew O. Brenner (R-Delaware) in April.
The bill gained broad, bipartisan support because it aimed to create modern pathways for Ohio high school students to access college classes through the College Credit Plus program.
On the night of June 26, GOP lawmakers amended the bill to add Ohio House Bill (HB) 183, an unrelated piece of legislation that would prohibit transgender Ohioans from using single-sex restrooms in schools and universities across the state .
Connected Act passed 60-31 after members of the Ohio House had already been meeting for almost twelve hours.
Once again, this was a manifestation of a Republican agenda aimed at pushing through initiatives and bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community, without the support of the people they claim to represent.
Sam Shim, an activist from Ohio, Buckeye Flame A board member and a parent are volunteers Trans Allies of Ohiowe delved into several issues related to the bill.
“SB 104 is a good bill, and it has bipartisan support. It strengthens a program that allows high school students to take college courses,” Shim said. “But, horribly, Republicans have taken up a bill that would ban student bathrooms in Ohio schools.”
Other issues also arise with the amendment to SB 104, including whether the legislation is constitutional after being amended to include an unrelated bill:
Ohio is one of 41 states that have Single entity principle binding as legislative.
The Ohio Constitution states: “No bill shall contain more than one subject, which shall be clearly defined in its title.”
The addition of HB183 to SB 104 clearly violates this provision because, prior to the amendment, SB 104 had no bearing on the employ of restrooms in schools and universities.
The only connection between them is that both bills address concerns about Ohio students, though that is vague at best.
HB183 has been seen as a direct attack on transgender youth by preventing them from using the bathroom of their gender. States that have previously passed laws similar to HB183 have already seen negative effects, including the death of transgender student Nex Benedict in Oklahoma.
“Student assaults are a serious problem plaguing school districts,” Shim said. “The restroom ban will only make bathrooms more dangerous and, unfortunately, more students will be attacked. I am appalled that lawmakers are choosing to alienate students instead of keeping them safe.”
HB183 does not provide increased academic programs or support for Ohio students; rather, it creates a system of fear and questions about who should employ which bathroom. Needless to say, our Ohio Republican lawmakers continue to promote this narrative, regardless of the harm it actually does to our youth.
While embracing the national GOP agenda, Ohio Republican lawmakers seemed determined to continue pushing their anti-LGBTQ+ agenda — despite widespread outcry from citizens in the state to stop it.
That’s why the November elections are so crucial.
Yes, we vote on who should be president, but he is probably more crucial “Citizens, not politicians” ballot paper.which “would prohibit lobbyists and politicians from participating in the process and instead give voters the ability to choose their politicians.”
Ohio Republicans have retained power in the Statehouse directly through gerrymandering in their districts, and anti-LGBTQ+ bills like HB183 will continue to be proposed and passed as long as these Republican lawmakers are able to retain power in their gerrymandered districts.
“When politicians draw biased, absurdly shaped electoral districts to favor their own interests, it’s called gerrymandering,” we read. “Citizens, not politicians” website.“Ohio is one of the 10 states with the most segregated electoral districts. Ohio politicians recently introduced electoral districts that the Supreme Court found to be unconstitutional.”
If Ohio voters passed this legislative initiative, its effects would not be immediate, but would be remembered in the history books.
Our constituencies must be based on equality, not on those established by those in power to stay in power.
The measure would provide direct voter representation in Ohio, creating a system in which politicians are the true representatives of their districts, not the districts they believe will win them in the next election.
As voters, we must pass the Citizens, Not Politicians initiative because this is our chance to take back power from these politicians and remind them who they work for. 🔥
GET STARTED
- To see the full list of Ohio’s LGBTQ+-related bills, click here.
- To register to vote or check your voting status in Ohio, click here.
- To find the contact information for your Ohio State Representative, click here.
- To find the contact information for an Ohio senator, click here.
- If you are a teenage LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact Trevor’s project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
- If you are a transgender adult in need of immediate assistance, please contact National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
