Ohio House Of Representatives Overturns Governor DeWine's Veto Of Bill Banning Sex Changes For Minors, Protecting Girls Sports

Last month, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine vetoed House Bill 68 bill which would have prevented biological males from competing in girls' sports and would've banned sex changes for minors. Now, the state's House of Representatives has voted to override DeWine's heavily criticized veto.

State representatives voted 65-28 to override the governor's decision, which he made after two weeks of deliberation.

Yes, after two weeks of deliberation on a piece of common sense legislation, DeWine decided it was a no from him, dawg.

“I cannot sign this bill as it is currently written,” he said at the time. “Just a few minutes ago, I vetoed this bill.”

DeWine said that despite his veto, he shared some of the concerns addressed in the bill. He even went so far as to say that he "adamantly agrees" that no one under 18 should undergo transitional surgery.

...and yet, he decided to veto the bill.

And he heard about it. OutKick's Riley Gaines — host of the Gaines For Girls podcast — was one of the most vocal to call out DeWine.

“Gov. DeWine has proven himself to be a spineless coward who is unwilling to do the obvious right and moral thing,” Gaines said in a statement. “This veto doesn’t represent the majority of Ohioans or the majority of Americans. I’m confident and hopeful the Ohio legislature will override his veto. A compromise between right and wrong will always be wrong.”

Governor of Ohio Mike DeWine vetoed House Bill 68 in late December of last year. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Ohio Governor Argued Government Should Stay Out Of These Decisions

DeWine argued after vetoing the bill that decisions about transitioning should be made by a child's parents, not the government.

"These tough, tough decisions should not be made by the government. They should not be made by the state of Ohio," DeWine said, per ABC News. "They should be made by the people who love these kids the most. And that's the parents, the parents who raised the child, the parents who have seen that child go through agony."

Couldn't agree more, Mike. The only problem is that you've got a lot of folks out there who don't seem to have a grasp on basic biology. They don't seem to understand — or care about — the harm that comes from this sort of intrusive medical "attention."

Is it fair to the 4-year-old kid who made a passing remark about wanting to try on a dress to let their parent make the call on whether or not they go through puberty?

Nope. And, unfortunately, that's why the government has had to get involved.

And believe me, the last thing most of us usually want is the government getting involved.

Fortunately, Ohioans disappointed in the bill can thank their state representatives for amassing the necessary 60 percent vote to override DeWine's veto.

Now, the bill goes back to the Ohio State Senate. If the Senate votes to override the veto as well, HB68 will become law.

'The battle to protect women and children is a marathon, not a sprint, so we celebrate the little victories," Gaines said in a statement. "The veto override vote from Ohio State House is a victory. All eyes will be on the senate as they vote in the next few weeks.

"I recommend all Ohioans remember the names of those who voted 'nay' today. They've proven they're willing to throw children and women under the bus to appear virtuous. Vote them out," she added.

So, the bill is still very much alive. Now, it'll be up to the Ohio State Senate to not drop the ball the way the governor did.

No pressure.

Follow on X: @Matt_Reigle