Amid GOP outcry, DeWine vetoes bill aimed at blocking gender affirming care for minors

Dec. 29—Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a Republican-backed bill Friday that aimed to block minors from starting gender affirming care in Ohio and forbid transgender girls from participating in girl's and women's school sports.

The Ohio General Assembly could override his veto with a 3/5 vote in both chambers, a level of support the bill had when it cleared the Statehouse earlier this month. DeWine's veto was immediately met with criticism from fellow Republican state leaders.

DeWine, who is in his final term, said in a press conference that his focus was specifically on the medical restrictions aspect of the bill, not the provisions about girl's sports. He said signing the bill would signal that the state and government know better than parents about the best care for their child. He said he was unwilling to sign a bill that exercises government authority against the best judgments of parents and medical professionals.

If House Bill 68, also known as the Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act, had become law, it would have blocked physicians from treating Ohio minors with gender affirming hormones to treat gender dysphoria. Such treatment includes hormones that delay the effects of puberty or hormones with masculinizing or feminizing effects like testosterone and estrogen.

The bill would have also blocked gender affirming surgeries for minors, though the state's medical community maintains that no such surgeries are performed for people under 18 in Ohio.

DeWine said he spoke to people on both sides of the bill, including physicians and counselors who provide gender-affirming care in Ohio; physicians who advocate against gender-affirming care; parents of children with gender dysphoria; people who had negative experiences with gender-affirming care and later detransitioned; and people who have transitioned and told DeWine they are thriving due to gender-affirming care.

"It's very important that we all remember that all those on each side of this issue sincerely and truly believe their position best protects children," DeWine said. "These are truly complex issues, and reasonable people can draw vastly different conclusions."

DeWine said his position on the bill came down to protecting human life.

"Parents have looked me in the eye and told me that, but for this treatment, their child would be dead," DeWine said. "They told me that their child is only alive because of the gender affirming care they have received."

DeWine said there are aspects of gender affirming care that he'd like the state to take action on through administrative rule, not through statute, which he believes would be more likely to survive judicial review.

He directed relevant agencies to put a formal ban on gender affirming surgeries on minors; require medical professionals to report to the state on gender affirming care so that decision makers can have data to pull from; and to block what he called "pop up clinics" from administering hormone therapies without using best medical practices.

In a statement, the Ohio Children's Hospitals Association said it looks forward to working with DeWine and the legislature to "to ensure Ohio's youth have access to the critical care they need while also addressing concerns raised during debate on H.B. 68."

But DeWine's call for action didn't do much to temper consternation from fellow Republicans who were angered or let down by the veto, nor did it stop GOP state lawmakers from calling for a swift veto override.

Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, sent out a statement that expressed disappointment in the veto, noting that the legislature spent three years on the bill to get it to "empower parents and protect children."

"(H.B. 68) was passed by veto-proof majorities in each chamber," Stephens wrote. "We will certainly discuss as a caucus and take the appropriate next steps."

Even DeWine's lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, took to social media to say "I hope the SAFE Act will become law in Ohio."

On the other side, DeWine's veto came as a pleasant surprise. Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express gratitude toward the governor for hearing both sides of the issue.

"It sends a much needed message of support to Ohio's LGBTQ+ youth that they and their families are seen and heard and deserve the fundamental freedom like everyone else to feel safe in their own communities and to maintain their rights as parents to make medical decisions that are best for their children," Russo wrote.

Others including some area lawmakers offered reproaches. State Sen. Niraj Antani, R-Miamisburg, took to X soon after the vote to call for the legislature to reconvene as early as Friday evening to override the veto.

State Rep. Jena Powell, R-Arcanum, who sponsored the women's sports side of the bill, went to X to voice disappointment. She said the governor "failed to protect" men women and children in Ohio. "Shame on you," the local representative concluded.

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Follow DDN statehouse reporter Avery Kreemer on X or reach out to him at Avery.Kreemer@coxinc.com or at 614-981-1422.

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