COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill that sought to ban gender-affirming care for minors and transgender athletes’ participation in girls' and women’s sports in the state.
So what happens next?
During a press briefing Friday, DeWine said he believed there were administrative actions that could address the main concerns of the bill and announced a three-prong approach.
He is directing agencies to ban surgery on those under 18 as part of gender-affirming care. He said he believes it’s a “fallacy out there that this goes right to surgery.”
He agreed with the Legislature that there was no comprehensive data on those who receive gender-affirming care and will direct relevant agencies to report findings to the Legislature and public about minors and adults seeking care.
Lastly, DeWine said his administration will draft rules and restrictions to prevent “pop up clinics or fly by night operations” so families receive “adequate counseling” regarding gender-affirming care.
“I truly believe that we can collaborate, find common ground, adopt rules to protect Ohio children and families in this area. It will be my goal in the coming weeks to get these protections adopted through a collaborative and deliberative process,” DeWine said in his press release.
The GOP-dominated Legislature has enough power to override the governor’s veto, but if or when they would do so is not yet clear.
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