Ohio Senate votes to override DeWine’s veto of gender-affirming care ban

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Senate met today to discuss the House’s override of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of House Bill 68, a highly debated bill on Transgender healthcare and sports.

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In an Ohio Senate session, lawmakers voted to pass HB 68, which overrules the Governor’s Veto of the bill which includes the Save Women’s Sports Act and The SAFE (Saving Adolescents from Experimentation) Act.

“We’re not outlawing all trans in the state of Ohio, we’re just asking you to say wait until you’re 18, wait until you have the ability to make the decision with your immature mind to give that a break,” Sen. Steve Huffman (R, Tipp City) said.

23 state senators voted to overrule the veto, while 9 voted to maintain the Governor’s decision.

“What we are doing today is creating major harm for a small segment of the state of Ohio’s population, our citizens,” Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson, (D, Toledo) said.

The law will go into effect in 90 days and will ban gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies and restrict mental health care for transgender individuals under 18. It also bans transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ and women’s sports teams at both K-12 and collegiate levels.

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