A new report might shed some light on what motivated Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to veto a bill that would ban “gender-affirming care” for minor children. According to a Daily Caller investigation, the governor has received a considerable sum of money from medical organizations that provide puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and even surgeries to kids.

From the report:

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio received thousands of dollars in donations from donors who provided transgender medical services or opposed efforts to ban the procedures for minors.

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.

DeWine’s decision to block the bill was met with widespread backlash, especially from his fellow Republicans. He claimed that while he had some qualms with “gender-affirming care” for kids, he needed more “longitudinal studies” to approve measures to prohibit it.

Even back in 2021, the governor stood in opposition to any bill that would protect children from being subjected to irreversible treatments to address their gender dysphoria.

Back in June 2021, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, explained why he opposed any and all efforts by the Republican-controlled General Assembly to pass bills that protected women's sports by preventing transgender "women" from competing in them.

“This issue is best addressed outside of government, through individual sports leagues and athletic associations, including the Ohio High School Athletic Association, who can tailor policies to meet the needs of their member athletes and member institutions,” DeWine declared at the time.

Currently, Ohio state lawmakers are looking at ways to override the governor’s veto power and might seek to craft legislation that will get enough legislative support to mitigate DeWine’s opposition.

Ohio's Republican legislative leaders said Friday that they will discuss next steps. Lawmakers have until the end of 2024 to override DeWine's veto, which requires a supermajority in both the House and Senate. Since the bill was House legislation, that chamber would need to act first.

"The bill sponsors, and the House, have dedicated nearly three years to get the bill right − to empower parents and protect children," House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, said in a statement. "It was passed by veto-proof majorities in each chamber. We will certainly discuss as a caucus and take the appropriate next steps."

Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, suggested Senate Republicans would support an override if the House takes action.

DeWine’s veto was the latest development in the national debate over gender-affirming care and the impact it has on children. Several states have already passed legislation barring these treatments for kids while others have implemented policies to protect these procedures.