(The Center Square) — In the wake of summer protests on college campuses, the Ohio Senate moved forward with a bill that defines antisemitism and expands the crime of ethnic intimidation.
The legislation now moves to the House, which has only one scheduled session day remaining and a second if needed.
Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, introduced Senate Bill 297 in June following spring pro-Palestine demonstrations on college campuses around the country that led to several arrests. Those protests also occurred at Ohio State, Miami University, Ohio University and several other small colleges around the state.
“We have seen turmoil on our college campuses as a result of protests over the conflict in Gaza, which have led to Jewish students being targeted and harassed. This type of hateful behavior toward people of a particular race or religious belief is, quite simply, unacceptable in the United States of America,” Johnson said. “It is imperative that we protect these students, punish offenders, and ensure protests remain peaceful and respectful.”
The bill would expand the offense of ethnic intimidation to include both riot and aggravated riot committed because of the race, color, religion or national origin of another person or group of persons.
The bill will also define antisemitism for state agencies.
The legislation did receive opposition in committee from several individuals, the ACLU-Ohio, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Jewish Voice for Peace, a national progressive Jewish organization.
“This law claims to want to protect Jews but this Jewish Ohioan stands before you today saying that I feel scared and threatened by this law. With this law, the state of Ohio threatens to take away the freedom of speech that my grandfather worked so hard to ensure for his family,” Alexandra Stein, with Jewish Voice for Peace Central Ohio, said in testimony.
The bill passed the Senate on a 27-4 vote. It has not had a committee meeting in the House, which has a session scheduled for Wednesday and another Dec. 19, if needed.
