Ohio State Israel divestment ballot initiative disqualified after Attorney General steps in
Ohio State University administration removed an initiative placed on a campus-wide ballot that would have asked students if the university should divest from companies that operate in Israel.
Ohio State University administration removed an initiative placed on a campus-wide ballot that would have asked students if the university should divest from companies operating in Israel.
According to The Lantern, the decision was made after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost advised the university that the Undergraduate Student Government ballot initiative wasn’t legal.
Ohio state law prohibits any state agency from such a divestment in Israeli companies.
A spokesperson for the Columbus, Ohio, institution told The Lantern that the student government must follow state law.
”USG’s constitution recognizes that the organization’s actions must adhere to state law. Therefore, the university administration has determined the ballot initiative cannot proceed, because USG’s actions cannot supersede state law,” a university spokesperson said.
Ohio State University administration received guidance from Yost on March 6, who told the school to remove the ballot initiative completely.
The spokesperson said the ballot initiative wouldn’t have been enacted if it was passed.
”Ohio State utilizes a diversified investment strategy to grow the resources available to support our academic mission, such as student scholarships, faculty positions and educational resources,” another Ohio State University spokesperson said. “The university follows all applicable laws regarding investments, including state laws specifically addressing this issue. Ohio State’s endowment is not funded with tuition or fees.”
