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.

Here we are some two and a half years later, and DeWine clearly hasn't changed his mind on the issue, vetoing a bill (HB 68) that was designed not just to protect women's sports but also to prevent children from having so-called "gender-affirming care" like life-altering gender transition surgery, which mutilates their bodies.

From the PDF document:

To enact sections 3109.054, 3129.01, 3129.02, 3129.03, 3129.04, 3129.05, 3129.06, 3313.5319, and 3345.562 of the Revised Code to enact the Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act regarding gender transition services for minors, and to enact the Save Women's Sports Act to require schools, state institutions of higher education, and private colleges to designate separate single-sex teams and sports for each sex.

In a press conference, DeWine explained his veto by pointing to how these are "gutwrenching decisions" parents are making on behalf of their children regarding transition surgery, decisions he says should be left up to parents and medical professionals.

That said, DeWine also noted he was taking actions on the issue that he hoped would prevent the state legislature from attempting to override his veto (thread):

"Were I to sign House Bill 68...Ohio would be saying that the state, that the government, knows better what is medically best for the child than the two people who love that child the most--the parents," Gov Mike DeWine said after vetoing the bill.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said his administration would work on administrative rules to: 

1) Ban gender-transition surgery for children

2) Report to relevant agencies data on pediatric gender transition treatment

3) Prevent pop-up gender clinics from providing poor care

Gov Mike DeWine said he hoped that his plans for administrative actions would dissuade the Ohio legislature from overriding his veto on the bill banning gender-transition treatment for children. He said his plan in some ways goes further, such as by demanding data gathering.

Watch:

🚨𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬:
Ohio Governor (R) Mike DeWine has just vetoed a bill that would restrict gender-affirming care for minors and it also would have banned men (tr*nswomen) from competing in women’s sports in high school and college.

House Bill 68 would have prevented… pic.twitter.com/QRJfPwm7BZ

— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) December 29, 2023

DeWine's critics, including Save Women's Sports spokeswoman Riley Gaines, weren't buying it.

"Fortunately, Ohio has the votes to override the veto," she tweeted. "@GovMikeDeWine is a spineless coward that needs to be removed from office."

"Governor Mike DeWine is not a conservative by any stretch of the imagination. This veto doesn't accurately represent Ohioans, nevertheless Americans," she wrote in another.

Outspoken detransitioner Chloe Cole, who previously gave powerful testimony before Congress, also had a strong reaction to DeWine's veto.

"Gov. DeWine’s political career is over," Cole predicted. "What a way to go out. Paid off by the medical lobby, which is insanely powerful in Ohio. Remember him for his desire to sterilize and mutilate children."

While it's unclear as of this writing whether Republican legislators will override DeWine's veto, some are already expressing support for doing just that, like Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin:

I strongly support vote to override the Governor’s veto of HB 68. House Republicans have the necessary votes to override in the House.  

We should do it at our first session in January. We must protect minors from permanent, life-altering surgeries & defend women’s sports.

The state's Republican Lt. Gov, John Husted, also supports the bill:

I’ve been asked my opinion on HB 68. I support it for two main reasons: Men should not compete in women’s sports. Permanent medical decisions concerning gender should not be made when you are a child. I hope the SAFE Act will become law in Ohio.

We'll keep you posted on what Republican leaders in Columbus decide to do. As always, stay tuned.

Related: Riley Gaines Is Not Done With Woke 'Squad' Member Summer Lee