If you follow Ohio politics, you’ve likely heard of Republican state Senator Andrew Brenner. He represents Delaware, Knox, Coshocton, and Holmes Counties in the Ohio Senate.
Senator Brenner has received significant public attention throughout the years, and never for a good reason.
Sometimes it’s funny. Like the time he got caught using a Zoom background of his office to hide the fact that he was driving during a Controlling Board meeting….
But more often, Andrew Brenner makes the news for deeply disturbing reasons.
Like Holocaust Remembrance Day 2020, when he said he would not allow Ohio Department of Health director Amy Action, who is Jewish, to turn Ohio into Nazi Germany.
Or the time(s) he attacked public education for being “socialist.”
I wish we could simply laugh at Andrew Brenner and then ignore him, but somehow he has become one of the most powerful lawmakers in Ohio when it comes to education policy.
Yes, you read that correctly. Andrew Brenner currently serves as Chair of the Ohio Senate Education Committee.
He decides which k-12 education bills move through the process of becoming law in our state.
That means when he introduces an overtly racist and prejudiced bill to “prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion in public schools,” we have to take it seriously.
And it’s especially troubling each time Senator Brenner demonstrates a lack of understanding around topics taught in elementary and high school.
Just this weekend, the senator made clear that he does not understand basic U.S. History concepts like party realignment:
Many of us are used to this level of ignorance from Senator Brenner, but we shouldn’t just accept this situation as our reality.
It shouldn’t be normal or acceptable for the people who write our education policy to be so woefully uneducated themselves.
How long will Ohio allow this to continue?
How long will we allow someone so obviously unqualified to make decisions that impact our children’s lives and futures?
Is it finally time to call for Andrew Brenner’s resignation?
If a politician would have failed the classes they’re trying to regulate, it’s time for them to go.
Your kids deserve so much better.
You know if I was an elected person in a party whose national and congressional leaders seem to go out of their way to protect a child sex abuser I would issue a statement soooo fast distancing myself from that ESPECIALLY if I legislated based on "protecting the children...." but from Columbus I hear nothing but the rush of the wind from the state GOP.