Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) is taking his time to tackle the mounting pressure to either sign or veto the controversial trans medicine and sports bills awaiting his notice.
“I think I have a real commitment to try to get this right,” DeWine told local Ohio station WHIO TV7. “It is very, very, very important.”
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The state Senate passed House Bill 68 on Dec. 13, and the final draft went to the governor’s office the following day.
The Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation, or SAFE Act, requires trans athletes to compete in the sport of their natural sex and prevents healthcare providers from using puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgical surgeries to address gender dysphoria in minors.
“This state has a compelling governmental interest in protecting the health and safety of its citizens, particularly vulnerable children,” the act declares.
Although the bill prevents specific medical interventions to treat gender-identity conditions, it also would require mental health professionals to evaluate young patients with gender-related concerns for comorbidities of gender dysphoria, “including depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and various mental health conditions.”
Mental health providers are also required to evaluate their gender-questioning patients for “physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological abuse and other traumas” as part of their care.
“Scientific studies show that individuals struggling with distress at identifying with their biological sex often have previously experienced trauma, which suggests these individuals may be encouraged to seek mental health care services before undertaking any hormonal or surgical intervention,” according to the bill.
The governor has until Friday to either sign or veto the bill before it becomes law by default.
Even if DeWine vetoes the legislation, the bill passed with a 70% majority in the House and a 75% majority in the Senate, signaling that Republican legislators may override the veto.
The governor vehemently opposed the pregnancy and reproductive rights act in November, claiming that it was too intense for the majority of Ohioans. The amendment would stop parental involvement in sex-change medication for minors, according to anti-abortion activists at the time.
Due to the seriousness of the bill’s implications, DeWine said to reporters over the weekend that he had spent time speaking with experts on both sides.
Classic Location: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine promises to take action on the transgender bills this year.
