Ohio House overrides DeWine veto of gender care ban for minors

By 65-28, Republicans in the Ohio House broke with Gov. Mike DeWine and voted to override his veto of House Bill 68, which blocks trans youth from access to gender-affirming care and from participating in girls’ athletics. It now heads to the Ohio Senate (Source: “Ohio House overrides veto of ban on gender care for minors, trans youth playing girls' sports,” Statehouse News Bureau, Jan. 10).

DeWine vetoed the bill in late December, saying he saw it as a life-or-death matter for some Ohioans. Last week the governor signed an executive order banning surgeries for trans minors and proposed other related administrative rules, but those did little to stave lawmakers off an override vote.

In addition to surgeries, HB 68 bars physicians from prescribing hormones and puberty blockers to minors and creates penalties for those who do, among other provisions. The bill also mandates that K-12 and collegiate teams in Ohio be “single-sex,” and enables athletes to bring forth civil lawsuits against any institution that violates that mandate.

Veto overrides need three-fifths votes in both chambers, but the Ohio Senate isn't scheduled to meet until Jan. 24. A spokesperson for the Senate GOP said last week it has the votes—regardless of when they are counted. Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers.