STATEWIDE – Today the Ohio Senate voted to override the Governor’s veto of House Bill 68, which sought to ban surgical and chemical castration of minors as well as prohibiting biological men from playing in women’s sports. In addition, the senate also voted to reverse the Governor’s decision to strike the operating budget, House Bill 33, which contained language banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. The city of Columbus had previously held a municipal wide ban on flavored tobacco products which is now moot after the senate’s vote.

Governor DeWine had stated previously that his move to veto HB 68 was done to “protect children.”

“I think parents should make those decisions and not the government,” DeWine said.

The Ohio Roundtable has previously covered DeWine’s veto of HB 68, as well as potential influences of that decision. According to DeWine, the move to strike the flavored tobacco products ban is a “win for big tobacco.” The HB68 vote was 24-8, with Sen. Nathan Manning (R-N. Ridgeville) joining Democrat opposition.

During the debate, protestors could be heard interrupting Republican lawmakers singing “Jesus Loves the Little Children” in the packed chamber, before being escorted out for the disruption. Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) voiced her opposition to the vote calling it “disconcerting” that many refused to accept that individuals have bodily autonomy and should be able to make their own medical decision.

“I find it very disconcerting that we stand here and make bold statements and not really understand or accept the fact that someone has their own autonomy and make choices about their own medical care and how they want to be seen in this world,” said Hudson.

Hudson’s statements echoed language pulled from the recent Issue 1 abortion amendment, which failed to define terms like individual or reproductive care with qualifiers of age or gender. Opposition to such language has argued that children, the focal point of HB68, are incapable of giving consent for things like sexual or reproductive choices as the bill is not aimed at adults, who still have the right to seek surgical organ removal or chemical castration should they choose to.

Republican lawmakers like Sen. Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro) stated the importance of the bill went beyond surgeries, but extended to sports, keeping the arena on a level playing field and ensuring that “young men would not be sharing a locker room” with girls.