The Ohio House of Representatives vetoes Republican Gov. Mike DeWine's bill that would ban gender-affirming care for minors and limit transgender women's participation in girls' and women's sports. It was decided to invalidate the .
DeWine vetoed the bill on Dec. 29 and instead signed an executive order last week, Jan. 5, banning gender reassignment surgery for people under 18.
The Saving Youth from Experimentation (SAFE) Act and the Repealing the Women's Sports Act passed on Wednesday by a vote of 65-28.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on December 29 vetoed a bill that would have prohibited gender-affirming care for minors and transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports. (AP Photo/Carolyn Custer/File)
The SAFE Act passed Ohio's Republican-controlled state legislature early last month, but DeWine said he could not sign the bill “as written at this point.”
“This bill will affect a very small number of people.” Children of Ohio. But for children and their families facing gender dysphoria, the impact of this bill could not be more profound,” DeWine said at a press conference.
However, the Senate is scheduled to vote on whether to override DeWine's veto on January 24th. If the Senate overrides the veto, Ohio would become the 24th state to place restrictions on transgender athletes.
The Ohio House of Representatives overrode Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of a bill aimed at banning transgender women from girls' and women's sports.
Alabama's Nick Saban retires as football coach
Mr. DeWine faced backlash from his own party over the decision. He said his opinion on the issue is one of “pro-life.”
“Ultimately, I believe this is about saving lives. Many parents believe that their child would not have survived without the care they received at Children's Hospital of Ohio. , told me he would have died today,” he said. “I have also had people who are now adults tell me that without this care, they would have taken their own lives as teenagers.”
DeWine said she visited several children's hospitals in the state and spoke with officials on both sides of the debate before making her decision. He added that while he would ultimately veto the bill, the bill he agrees to has raised concerns that he would like to address in parallel with the General Assembly.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (Fox News)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
former NCAA Division I swimmers Riley Gaines criticized the decision in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Governor DeWine has proven to be a spineless coward who clearly won't do the right and moral thing. This veto is not representative of the majority of Ohioans or the majority of Americans. I have confidence and hope that the Ohio General Assembly will override his veto,” she said. “A compromise between right and wrong is always wrong.”
Fox News' Paulina Dedaj, Liz Elkind and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital X sports broadcast and subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.
