How Ohio's Tight Referendum Deadline Kept Voters From Weighing In on a Controversial Higher Education Law
In March 2025, Ohio lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1, a sweeping overhaul of the state's public higher education system. Among other changes, the law eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on campus, imposed new restrictions on what faculty could teach, banned faculty strikes, and restructured the boards that oversee Ohio's 14 public universities and 23 public community colleges, with the threat of losing state funding for any institution that didn't comply. Governor Mike DeWine signed it into law on March 28, 2025.
Ohio's constitution gives citizens the power to reject a law like this directly, through a veto referendum, but only if citizens can collect roughly 248,000 valid signatures, spread across at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, within 90 days of the law taking effect. A coalition led in part by university faculty launched a referendum campaign almost immediately, submitting proposed language to the Attorney General on April 21 and beginning to collect signatures once it was certified two weeks later.
Despite that fast start, the campaign fell short. By the June 26 deadline, organizers had gathered nearly 195,000 signatures—a serious grassroots effort, but roughly 53,000 short of what the law required. SB 1 took effect the next day, unchallenged by Ohio voters.
Grassroots Referendum: Inside the Campaign to Defeat Ohio SB 1
Mar 23, 2026 Taking Initiative
We sit down with Mandy Fehlbaum, a Youngstown State University professor who helped to lead a referendum to repeal Ohio Senate Bill 1, which placed new restrictions on DEI and collective bargaining at public colleges and universities in the state. We talk about the challenges the grassroots group faced, what prevented them from getting the referendum on the ballot, and takeaways for other grassroots groups looking to run a referendum campaign.
Timeline of Key Events:
Jan 22, 2025 — SB 1 introduced in the Ohio Senate.
Source: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb1/status
Feb 12, 2025 — Passed Ohio Senate.
Source: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb1/status
Mar 19, 2025 — Passed Ohio House.
Source: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb1/status
Mar 28, 2025 — Signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine.
Source: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb1/status
Apr 21, 2025 — Initial referendum petition submitted to Attorney General.
Directive reference: Referendum-on-Am-Sub-S-B-No.1.aspx
Source: https://www.ohiosos.gov/assets/dir2025-28-prospective-referendum-petition-concerning-sb1-of-the-136th-ga.pdf
May 5, 2025 — Attorney General certified summary language.
Source: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/May-2025/Summary-Language-Certified-for-Proposed-Referendum
Jun 26, 2025 — Organizers reported collecting nearly 195,000 signatures, short of the approximately 248,000+ valid signatures required. The referendum would not qualify.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/378ca9b2389e182562296872edb5d68e
Signature reporting source: https://www.statenews.org/government-politics/2025-06-27/ohio-higher-ed-overhaul-law-senate-bill-1-goes-into-effect-as-repeal-effort-falls-short
Jun 27, 2025 — SB 1 took effect.
Source: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb1
