A new development in Ohio signals that Gov. Mike DeWine’s effort to protect “gender-affirming care” for children and allow "transgender girls" to take part in girls' and women's sports in the state, might fail. The Ohio House voted Wednesday to override the governor’s prior veto of legislation, which in part prohibits the use of puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and surgery for children suffering from gender dysphoria.

The move comes amid a national debate over whether these treatments should be used on children who are too young to make decisions about their gender.

The Ohio House has voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto against Ohio House Bill 68 in a 65-28 vote. This bill would ban transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming medical care and prevent transgender girls from taking part in girls' and women's sports.

The Ohio Senate will vote on whether to override the veto on Jan. 24. Legislators need 60% of the vote in both houses to override the governor’s veto.

Physicians who provide this gender-affirming care for trans youth would be "subject to discipline by the applicable professional licensing board" under this legislation. The bill includes exceptions for this kind of care for non-transgender youth.

During the session, lawmakers argued for and against the measure.

“No parent has the constitutional right to harm their child,” Rep. Gary Click, the bill’s Republican sponsor, said Wednesday on the House floor. “The same government that requires you to send your children to school, prohibits you from giving them illicit drugs and can charge parents with neglect and abuse also has the obligation to prevent parents and physicians from chemically castrating and sterilizing their children.”

Click also called on DeWine to issue an executive order preventing the distribution of puberty blockers and hormone therapy for 90 days until the bill takes effect, because, he said, he believes the measure will cause “a rush on the pharmacies to get those dangerous and deforming drugs.”

Rep. Anita Somani, a Democrat who was a gynecologist for more than 30 years, said her office received more than 1,500 emails in opposition to the bill, compared to 200 in favor. She said she has since received heartbreaking calls from trans youth and adults who are afraid of losing access to care and from doctors and social workers who wouldn’t be able to continue caring for their patients.

“Trust science, trust the families, the parents, the patients and the experts who have testified repeatedly that gender-affirming care is a continuum designed to help people achieve their authentic true self,” Somani said. “It isn’t up to the government to make these decisions, and we need to stay the hell out of the exam room.”

If passed, the legislation would not apply to minors who are already receiving “gender-affirming care.”

DeWine, a Republican, came under fire for vetoing the bill previously. He defended his decisions by arguing that signing the bill “would be saying that the state…knows better what is medically best for the child than the two people who love that child the most – the parents.”

It was later revealed that DeWine had received substantial donations from medical organizations that favored the use of “gender-affirming care” on children.

From the report:

…

DeWine vetoed House Bill 68 on Friday, which would have prohibited doctors from prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors and banned boys from competing in girls’ sports, just hours before the deadline. A review of donations from 2018 to 2023 found that the governor received $40,300 from the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association (OCHA), Cincinnati Children’s, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and ProMedica Children’s Hospital, all of whom support transgender medical care.

OCHA donated $10,000 to the Mike DeWine and Jon Husted Transition Fund on Dec. 28, 2018, and another $10,000 on Dec. 7, 2022, according to the report. A transition fund allows candidates to spend donations for “transition activities and inaugural celebrations,” according to Ohio’s campaign finance handbook.

Cincinnati Children’s, an affiliate of OCHA, donated $300 on Dec. 15, 2022, to the fund and ProMedica, another affiliate of OCHA, also donated $10,000 in December 2018, according to the reports. Nationwide Children’s, a third affiliate with OCHA, donated $5,000 in December 2018 and another $5,000 in January 2023 to the transition fund.

READ: Maybe This Is Why Gov. Mike DeWine Vetoed a Bill Banning 'Gender-Affirming Care' for Children

The state Senate is expected to vote on the measure shortly.