COLUMBUS (CN) — Republican Governor Mike DeWine's veto of House Bill 68 in the waning days of 2023 was unexpected; a vote in the Ohio House of Representatives to override that veto and ban gender-affirming care for minors was not.
The house voted 65 to 28 in favor of the override after well over an hour of comments from various representatives.
DeWine broke ranks with his party and sympathized with families that include transgender members when he vetoed the bill and attempted to limit the role state government can play in medical decisions, but order within the Republican Party was restored with this week's override vote.
A three-fifths majority vote in both the House and Senate is required to overturn DeWine's veto, and after Wednesday's predictable result, all that remains is a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate.
The language of HB 68, sponsored by Republican Gary Click of District 88 in Vickery, Ohio, emphasizes only a "tiny percentage" of individuals do not identify with their biological sex, and encourages those individuals to seek psychological and mental health treatment instead of any medical procedures.
If it takes effect, the law would ban puberty blockers, hormone therapy and other gender-affirming care for minors in the Buckeye State.
It also bans transgender individuals from competing on female sports teams at the high school or collegiate level.
Click was understandably frustrated when fellow Republican DeWine vetoed the bill on Dec. 29, 2023, but he said in a statement the two share a common goal.
"It's clear we share a common passion for children," Click said. "Even in moments when we disagree on policy, I have never questioned his heart or his character. I commend him for digging through the details of this legislation and for speaking to several qualified individuals capable of shedding light on this issue."
Click was the last member of the house to speak before Wednesday's vote, and he cited statistics that show suicide rates among transgender individuals have decreased after the passage of similar legislation in at least 20 other states.
"Good intentions do not save lives or protect women," he told his colleagues. "Good policy does. We cannot fall into the trap of allowing children to self-diagnose."
Minority Whip Jessica Miranda, a Democrat from District 28 in Cincinnati, vehemently opposed the override in a statement made immediately before Click's comments.
"The party of so-called freedom is voting to take away your freedom," she said. "The hypocrisy in this room is rich. Dog-whistle politics and the proverbial boogeyman that doesn't exist is killing our democracy."
Jena Powell, a Republican representative from District 80 in Arcanum and co-sponsor of HB 68, spoke in support of the Save Women's Sports Act.
"Today we are making history," she told the assembly. "The Save Women's Sports Act is crucial to preserving women's rights. We must protect the integrity of women's sports."
Democrat Anita Somani, representative from District 11 in Dublin, spoke against overriding DeWine's veto.
"What we're doing is moving people backwards," she said. "We are taking away health care. I'm angry, I'm frustrated, I'm disappointed."
Somani, a doctor, urged her colleagues to "stay the hell out of the exam room."
"House Bill 68 does nothing to protect our youth. It pushes a political, hateful agenda that does not help a single family," she said.
When HB 68 was initially passed, 24 of the state's 33 senators voted in favor of the law, and a similar result in the forthcoming vote would be enough to nullify the governor's veto.
Statewide elections in Ohio have leaned progressive in recent years, with recreational marijuana and a constitutional right to abortion both passing easily in the November 2023 election cycle, but Republican representatives continue to pursue a staunchly conservative agenda seemingly at odds with the voters who put them in office.
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