Ohio’s Republican governor vetoed a budget bill provision last week that would’ve let GOP legislators deny up to $75 million to public universities if the lawmakers determined they weren’t complying with a sweeping new higher education law.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 1 into law in March. Among other things, it allows “immediate and for cause post-tenure review” for university faculty members; prohibits full-time faculty from striking; bans diversity, equity and inclusion offices; mandates online posting of undergraduate course syllabi; requires institutions to “demonstrate intellectual diversity” in a range of areas; and prohibits unions from using their collective bargaining rights to negotiate over faculty workload and evaluation.

Then, on June 25, the Ohio General Assembly passed a budget bill saying universities couldn’t receive part of $75 million in state funding unless House and Senate higher ed committees and another group of legislators called the Controlling Board determined the institutions complied with SB 1. DeWine signed the budget bill into law June 30, but not without axing this provision.

In his veto message, DeWine wrote that the provision “intrudes upon the constitutional authority of the executive branch to distribute funds that have been appropriated.” He also wrote that the section didn’t say “how to handle a difference of opinion between the two committees.”

“The Ohio Department of Higher Education is well positioned to determine compliance with Senate Bill 1 and to disburse funds in accordance with this section,” he wrote.

Republican senator Jerry Cirino, who filed SB 1 and now chairs the Senate Finance Committee, didn’t express concern to Inside Higher Ed about the veto. He said university leaders were already dismantling DEI organizations, among other actions.

“They’re all making huge progress in getting things done,” Cirino said. “They’ve been working on this even before the governor signed the bill.”