Ohio’s Republican legislature successfully passed a bill on Wednesday which bans sex change surgeries, including mastectomies and genital mutilation, for minors, despite opposition from the state’s Republican Governor.
The Bill, HB 68, which bans permanent, irreversible surgery and drug treatment, such as puberty blockers, also prevents biological men from competing in women’s sports through the collegiate level.
Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) initially vetoed the bill after it passed through the legislature with overwhelming support, claiming that the bill inhibited parental rights, and asserting that his veto was “pro-life.”
“Ohio would be saying that the state, that the government knows better what is medically best for a child than the two people who love that child the most, the parents,” said Gov. DeWine.
DeWine faced heavy criticism from Republicans, most of whom agree that permanent, genital mutilating surgeries should not be carried out on minors.
Ohio law allows a governor’s veto to be overridden by a three-fifths majority vote in the state legislature.
House and Senate Republicans used this power to override the governor’s unpopular decision.
On January 10 the state’s House voted 65-28 to override the veto, and, on Wednesday the Senate voted 24-8 to do the same, meaning that, officially, HB 68 will become law in Ohio.
One Republican, Ohio State Sen. Nathan Manning (R-D13), voted against his party in support of his embattled governor’s veto.
Most Republicans, however, celebrated the decision, such as State Sen. George Lang (R-D4), who announced the decision on X.
“This was a important step to protect Ohio’s children and ensure fairness in athletic competition,” said Sen. Lang.
Following the state’s senate vote, the bill will take effect in roughly three months.
Once the bill is passed, any minors already receiving transgender medication, such as hormones or puberty blockers, will be allowed to continue under the law’s small exception.
The exception does not, however, allow minors to progress any further in their sex-change treatment, and does not allow any surgeries.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="24948 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=24948">3 Comments
WELL DONE OHIO! (Maine legislators, you paying attention????) This is how it’s done!
Our side controls all the positions of power in Maine. Your tiny coalition of keyboard warrior GOP reps only use their time to make tik tok videos and Facebook posts. We’ve locked down Maine and we have tens of thousands of New Mainers that ensure you will never have a majority ever again.
Suck it up buttercups. You lost.
Very smart policy in Ohio. Transgenderism is a fantasy, permanently mutilating a child over a fantasy which medical studies show over 90% of children outgrow is sick and depraved. In my paramedic training we were taught that people are more likely to harm themselves or others after transition procedures than beforehand. The citizens of Maine would be well served to adopt the Ohio policy