Republican Ohio lawmakers are planning to override Governor Mike DeWine's veto of a bill banning sex changes for minors.
The legislation, House Bill 68, would also ban biological male students from playing on sports teams meant for girls.
Republican lawmakers had passed the bill with overwhelming support in both chambers.
The governor, who is also a Republican, claimed that the law could cause suicides.
“Parents are making decisions about the most precious thing in their life, their child, and none of us should underestimate the gravity and the difficulty of those decisions,” the governor said during a press conference about the veto. “Many parents have told me that their child would be dead today if they had not received the treatment they received from an Ohio children’s hospital.”
“I’ve also been told by those who are now grown adults that, but for this care, they would have taken their lives when they were teenagers,” DeWine continued.
“I cannot sign this bill as is currently written,” DeWine asserted, adding, “and just a few minutes ago, I vetoed the bill.”
Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers — allowing them to override the governor's veto if they choose to do so.
According to a report from The Guardian, "top Ohio Republicans, including the secretary of state, Frank LaRose, are now urging the state legislature to reverse the governor’s decision by overriding his veto."
“We have a duty to protect safety and fair competition for female athletes and to protect children from being subjected to permanent, life-altering medical procedures before the age of 18,” LaRose said.
The report continued, "The Republican speaker, Jason Stephens, announced this week that the Ohio house would reconvene on 10 January, weeks earlier than scheduled, in an attempt to revive the bill before the official start of the 2024 legislative session. Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers of the Ohio legislature, meaning Stephens’ push to sidestep the governor is likely to succeed."
“It is disappointing that the governor vetoed House Bill 68,” Stephens said, according to the report. “The bill sponsors, and the house, have dedicated nearly three years to get the bill right.”
