- Republican lawmakers have enough seats to override DeWine's veto
- Hundreds of opponents testified against Ohio's multifaceted measure
- They described the legislation as cruel and life-threatening to transgender youth
Ohio's Republican Governor Mike DeWine on Friday vetoed a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for children and ban trans athletes from competing in women's sports.
GOP leaders have enough seats to override DeWine's veto, but it's not clear if or when they will do so.
“The implications of this bill could not be more profound. Ultimately, I believe this is about protecting human life,” DeWine said during a news conference Friday.
“Many parents have told me that their child would not have survived and would be dead today if they had not received the treatment they received at one of the children's hospitals in Ohio,” he added.
Hundreds of opponents testified against Ohio's House Bill 68, which could have banned access to gender-affirming treatments and denied transgender student-athletes access to girls' and women's sports.
Opponents include medical and mental health providers, education professionals, faith leaders, parents of transgender children, and transgender individuals themselves.
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill in Ohio on Friday that would ban gender-affirming care for children and ban trans athletes from competing in women's sports
They described the legislation as cruel, life-threatening to transgender youth and based on fear-mongering rather than science.
The Legislature passed the bill earlier this month with only Republican support, banning Ohio minors from taking puberty blockers and other hormone therapies or undergoing gender reassignment surgery.
However, it would allow any minor living in Ohio to continue the treatment they are currently receiving.
DeWine's veto deviates from a national trend toward passing such laws, as more than two dozen states have passed laws limiting or banning such treatments.
Most of these states are facing lawsuits, but courts have issued mixed rulings.
The bill would also require public K-12 schools and colleges to designate separate teams for male and female genders, and would explicitly ban transgender girls and women from participating in sports that align with their gender identity.
Supporters argued that banning transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports maintains the integrity of those sports and ensures fairness.
At least 20 states have passed some version of a statewide ban on transgender athletes playing on K-12 and collegiate sports teams. These bans would be lifted by a regulations proposed by President Joe Biden's administration which will be completed early next year.