Governor DeWine vetoes Ohio’s House Bill 68, affecting transgender healthcare and sports participation. Learn about the bill’s key aspects and impact.
Columbus, Ohio – In a surprising move, Ohio’s Governor Mike DeWine said “no” to a new law, House Bill 68.
This law was about two big things: stopping transgender kids from getting certain medical treatments and not allowing transgender girls to play in girls’ sports.
Governor DeWine thinks there is a better way to handle this.
He suggests making some rules that might work better and be fairer.
He is planning to set up rules that say no to surgeries for transgender kids and keep a close watch on how transgender people are treated in clinics.
There was a big meeting about this at the Ohio Statehouse on December 13, 2023.
Many people came, like church leaders, business owners, people who help others for a living, and transgender people, too.
This kind of law is not just in Ohio.
About 20 other states have similar rules, and some have problems because courts need to think they are right.
In Ohio, the law might still happen if enough lawmakers disagree with the Governor and vote to make it a law anyway.
The law, if it passed, would make big changes.
It would stop transgender kids under 18 from getting certain medical treatments like hormones or surgery, except in some special cases.
Doctors say these treatments are really important and help a lot.
They start with talking and planning what is best for each young person.
Experts say these medical treatments are safe and very important for transgender kids’ health and happiness.
Without them, these kids could feel very sad and even think about hurting themselves.
Treatments like hormone therapy have been shown to make them feel much better.
People have different ideas about this law.
We should be extra careful and wait for more proof that these treatments are safe in the long run.
Others believe that these laws are harmful.
They say families and doctors should be able to decide what is best without the government getting in the way.
There is also talk about sports.
Right now, in Ohio, transgender students can play sports, but there are some rules about it.
The new law would have stopped transgender girls from playing on girls’ teams.
Last year, a similar law did not pass.
This decision by the Governor is a big deal and has many people talking about what is best for transgender youth in Ohio.
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