Ohio legislature passes Parents’ Bill of Rights, sends it to Gov. Mike DeWine for signature

It took late-night work on the last day of the legislative session for Ohio’s Republican-majority legislature to pass the Parents Bill of Rights after more than a year and a half.

House lawmakers finally approved late Wednesday night after the Senate passed its version of the bill that, among other things, allows parents to opt children out of sexual material and requires schools to notify parents of any matters related to a student’s mental health, emotional well-being or gender identity.

The bill moves to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk. He has 10 days to either sign it or veto it.

Supporters called it a win for parents and religious organizations in public schools.

"The days of the ACLU and the most fringe voices on the left driving the political debate in America are over. The age of powerful parent voices is here,” said Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue. “The CCV-backed Parents’ Bill of Rights, which includes important provisions to protect programs like LifeWise Academy and religious released time, tells government bureaucrats across Ohio that parents are in charge of their kids’ education and healthcare decisions.”

Critics have said the bill could strain the relationship between teachers and parents, creates complicated reporting requirements and could be a threat to student safety by discouraging communication between students and teachers.

“School policies should focus on education, not discrimination. This bill could burden our educators, while failing to prioritize what’s best for our children,” said Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood. “We should focus on ensuring all children receive a quality education, and not bring the culture war to schools through harmful bills like this.”

Lawmakers also folded into House Bill 8 a requirement schools allow for religious release time, more money for the state to use for its school voucher program and more time for charter schools to reach two stars on the state’s school report card.

Lawmakers also approved a bill that would allow districts to suspend a student for a school year for threatening acts such as writings, social media posts and other acts of “imminent and severe endangerment.”