Former President Donald Trump recently criticized Ohio Governor Mike DeWine after he vetoed a state law that would ban transgender surgeries from being performed on children. Having previously endorsed Dewine in his past governor races, Trump sounded off on his controversial decision. The leading Republican Presidential candidate claimed that DeWine “has fallen to the Radical Left” for refusing to back the conservative cause.
House Bill 68, also known as the Saving Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, passed the Ohio House and Senate earlier this month, which would have prevented doctors from prescribing hormone-related treatments and performing gender reassignment surgeries on minors. The bill also would have barred transgender athletes from participating on female sports teams in high school and college.
“DeWine has fallen to the Radical Left. No wonder he gets loudly booed in Ohio every time I introduce him at Rallies, but I won’t be introducing him any more. I’m finished with this ‘stiff.’ What was he thinking. The bill would have stopped child mutilation, and prevented men from playing in women’s sports. Legislature will hopefully overturn. Do it FAST!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
DeWine defended his veto, claiming the bill would lead to government overreach. “Were I to sign House Bill 68, or were House Bill 68 to become law, Ohio would be saying that the state, that the government knows better what is medically best for a child than the two people who love that child the most: their parents,” the governor said.
Ohio Republicans have joined Trump in denouncing Gov. DeWine’s controversial stance on the bill. Trump ally Sen. J.D. Vance took to social media, expressing the utmost disappointment with DeWine’s decision. “This is a slogan, not a justification. There are many things the law rightfully says no one, including parents, may do to children,” Vance posted on X. “This slogan also ignores the extraordinary pressure from interest groups and big pharma to green light poorly understood, irreversible procedures. I’m extremely disappointed in the governor’s decision and hope it is overridden.”
Republican lawmakers in Ohio have discussed potential options to override the governor’s veto on the bill. With a supermajority in both the House and Senate, Ohio legislators could override the veto if enacted by the end of 2024. House Speaker Jason Stephens indicated the legislature will consider all possibilities in reviving the bill.
“The bill sponsors, and the House, have dedicated nearly three years to get the bill right − to empower parents and protect children,” Stephens stated “It was passed by veto-proof majorities in each chamber. We will certainly discuss as a caucus and take the appropriate next steps.”
Senate President Matt Huffman voiced his frustration with DeWine’s decision on the bill. However, he noted that the Senate would support overriding Dewine’s veto if the House were to take action. “I’m extremely disappointed by the Governor’s veto,” he stated. “Changes were made to the bill to accommodate his concerns, and the bill was strongly supported in the Senate by the Republican Caucus. … We look forward to the House taking the next step.”
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