Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine held a news conference at 10:30 a.m. to announce his decision to veto House Bill 68, which would have banned gender-affirming care for trans youth.
You can watch the news conference in the player below:
State lawmakers passed House Bill 68 just before the holiday break. The bill would prohibit gender-affirming care for trans and nonbinary youth, including hormone blockers, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), medical or surgical procedures and some mental health services. In addition to banning gender-affirming care for trans children, it would prohibit trans athletes from taking part in women's sports.
Healthcare professionals who provide this care could lose their licenses and be sued. Medicaid would not cover gender-affirming procedures for minors.
H.B. 68 was introduced by state Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery). Lawmakers in favor of the bill argue that trans teens don’t know what they really want, and their parents and doctors are pressured to approve of this healthcare.
Now that DeWine has vetoed the bill, lawmakers could override it with a three-fifths vote in the House and Senate.
