Ohio Governor Reacts to House Veto Override of House Bill 68

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued a one-sentence statement after the Ohio House of Representatives voted to override his veto of House Bill 68 on Wednesday.

The House voted 65-28 to override the veto, as previously reported by The Ohio Star.

“I continue to believe it is in the best interests of children for these medical decisions to be made by the child’s parents and not by the government,” DeWine said in a statement.

The Ohio Senate is scheduled to vote on the veto override of House Bill 68 on January 24. If the Senate passes the veto override, the bill will become law after 90 days.

House Bill 68 is a combination of two bills: the Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act and the Save Women’s Sports Act.

The SAFE Act would prevent doctors from providing minors with gender-affirming care, which includes performing gender reassignment surgery and prescribing cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers.

The Save Women’s Sports Act would prevent biological males who identify as transgender from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.

DeWine vetoed the legislation on December 29, 2023, saying his decision was based on his disagreements with the SAFE Act, particularly the banning of prescribed cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers.

The governor argued the “gut-wrenching decisions” regarding gender dysphoria when it pertains to minors should be made by parents.

One week after vetoing House Bill 68, DeWine signed an executive order banning gender transition surgeries for minors at any hospital or ambulatory surgical facility in Ohio.

While Executive Order-01D bans gender reassignment surgeries for minors, it does not ban other gender-affirming care for minors, including prescribed cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers, as House Bill 68 would.

DeWine’s decision to veto the bill earned him widespread criticism from a large group of voters, activists, and lawmakers, including former President Donald Trump, who said he was “finished” with the governor following his veto of the legislation.

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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Mike DeWine” by Mike DeWine. Background Photo “Ohio House of Representatives Floor” by Antony-22. CC BY-SA 4.0.