WATCH: 'Our right to express ourselves is fundamental,' lawmaker argues
Campus Reform Reporter spoke with State Senator Jerry Cerino about a bill he sponsored to protect free speech on college campuses in Ohio.
On this episode of Campus Countdown, Campus Reform Reporter Alexa Schwerha interviews Ohio State Senator Jerry Cerino to discuss his Senate Bill 135.
The proposed legislation aims to protect free speech on public university campuses. It recently passed the state House 96-0 and the state Senate 31-1.
”Our right to express ourselves is fundamental to our Constitution, and to our republic,” Cerino tells Schwerha. “As we have seen recently with some very recent announcements coming out of the Biden administration, we think that there will be a continued press to restrict free speech.”
Senate Bill 135 requires public education institutions in the Buckeye State to have a formal complaint system where students and faculty can submit alleged free speech violations.
According to Cerino, the complaints will warrant a formal hearing that will be reported to the Chancellor’s office. The results of the hearing will then be reported to the legislature.
”I will be watching very carefully in the future to see how these are being handled,” Cerino promises.
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