Ohio GOP Gov. Mike DeWine Vetoes Bill Protecting Kids from Transgender Experimentation, Trans Participation in Girls' Sports

Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill on Dec. 29 that would protect children from dangerous and permanent transgender medical procedures and ban male-born transgender athletes from playing as females in girls’ and women’s sports.

The state legislature passed the Enact Ohio Saving Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act (HB 68) this month.

With the veto, the Republican governor broke from his own party, which overwhelmingly supported the measure. While the GOP-led legislature does have enough GOP seats to override DeWine’s veto, it is not known when or if this might occur, the Associated Press reported.

DeWine showed that he accepted the left’s hysterical claims that opposition to transgenderism causes trans kids to commit suicide.

The governor said he made his veto decision after speaking to medical providers and added, “I’ve also listened to youth and parents. Parents who have told me if not for this treatment, their child would be dead.”

DeWine said, “The consequences of this bill could not be more profound. Ohio would be saying the state, the government, knows better than the two people who love that child the most, the parents.”

DeWine went even further and noted that he is directing his administration to craft rules that would accede to the transgender lobby and try to head off any meddling by the legislature. He also implored the legislature to join him in affirming radical transgenderism for children.

“I invite members of the general assembly to meet with us to collaborate, to work with us,” he said.

“What we have found is there needs to be a process,” DeWine exclaimed while insisting he is hewing to the side of parents who want to transgender their children. “Ultimately, my decision here was protecting life, the life of these children.”

HB 68 was passed in the state House with a party-line 64-28 vote and in the Senate by 24-8. Only one Republican crossed the aisle to vote with the Democrats, GOP Sen. Nathan Manning.

DeWine has been an avowed opponent of protecting women’s sports from incursions of male-born athletes who claim to be transgender females.

President of the American Principles Project (APP), Terry Schilling, blasted DeWine in a statement released after the gov’s veto.

“Our country has lately entered a new era that especially calls for courageous leadership. America’s most powerful institutions claim, despite the obvious physical evidence to the contrary, that men can become women and vice versa. Even worse, they are encouraging young children to undergo dangerous medical procedures which sterilize and mutilate their bodies to pursue this impossible goal. And our elites cheer as confused men enter into athletic competitions against women, depriving female athletes of a fair playing field and sometimes even putting their safety at risk.

“Now, more than ever, we need leaders who will stand up to these egregious lies and act to protect our children and families. Unfortunately, Governor DeWine has shown he is no such leader. History will forever remember that when courage was called for, DeWine instead gave into cowardice and caved to the transgender industry that is preying on so many vulnerable individuals. Despite the fact that most Republicans and even some Democrats are now seeing this predatory industry for what it is, DeWine still refused to do the right thing.

“Today’s decision by Gov. DeWine is useful for one thing: it shows he is not a capable leader for our times. Ohio families deserve far better, and if DeWine is unable to find the backbone to protect them, he should step aside in favor of someone who will.”

Women’s sports activist Riley Gaines also excoriated DeWine on her X account, calling him a coward and saying he supports “men in women’s sports and locker rooms & children being chemically and surgically castrated.”

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