Day Late And A Dollar Short: No One Is Happy With OH Gov. DeWine's New EO On 'Gender-Affirming Care'

Back at the end of December, we reported on Ohio governor Mike DeWine vetoing HB 68, legislation that would have protected women's sports and outlawed transition surgeries for minors. He was rightly criticized for it at the time. Something must've happened because yesterday DeWine announced he signed an executive order banning gender transition surgeries. Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) says he has signed an executive order banning gender transition surgeries for minors in the state. DeWine vetoed a bill last week that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors. Back in December, DeWine said of his decision to veto he bill that, 'Ohio would be saying that the state, that the government, knows better what is best for a child than the two people who know that child the best—the parents. The Ohio way is to approach things in a systematic manner, to follow the evidence, to be careful, and that’s really what we’re doing.'

Using that logic, any legislation that limits what parents can do with and to their children violates DeWine's notion that the state is saying it knows better. Compulsory K-12 education, for example. Why does Ohio get to make that decision for parents, but not one that renders children sterile and physically maimed? So rather than sign legislation passed through Ohio's deliberative bodies, the duly elected members of the House and Assembly, DeWine decided the 'systematic manner' was to veto that bill and pass an executive order. Makes perfect sense. The legislature has enough votes to override his veto, and that seemed to influence DeWine's decision: DeWine last week said he hoped vetoing a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, while approving a ban on gender transition surgeries for minors, would win the support of GOP legislators in Ohio who signaled they were considering overriding his veto.

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https://twitchy.com/amy-curtis/2024/01/06/dewine-executive-order-banning-trans-surgery-for-minors-n2391443