Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has thrown a wrench in his party's plans to regulate transgender participation in sports and gender-affirming care.
DeWine, a Republican, announced on Friday that he could not sign the bill that passed the GOP-dominated general assembly “as it is currently written.”
In vetoing the Saving Adolescents from Experimentation Act (HB 68), DeWine stressed his empathy for people with gender dysphoria and their families. ABC 6 Columbus noted that his concerns stemmed from the government dictating a one-size-fits-all health care approach, and not the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports.
Besides outlawing gender reassignment surgery for teenagers, the bill would've made taking puberty blockers illegal for anyone under 18 in Ohio:
Had the bill passed, DeWine said Friday, “Ohio would be saying that the state, its government, know better” than families what is best for their children.
Such decisions “should be made by the people who love these kids the most, the parents,” the governor added. “This is about protecting human life.”
The Republican-backed bill would have drastically affected how LGBTQ youth in Ohio live their everyday lives. DeWine's lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, posted his position on social media earlier this week:
“I've been asked my opinion on HB 68,” Husted wrote. “I support it for two main reasons: Men should not compete in women's sports. Permanent medical decisions concerning gender should not be made when you are a child. I hope the SAFE Act will become law in Ohio.”
DeWine asked that the state legislature meet with him next week to resolve the issue.
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