COLUMBUS (AP) — The Republican-dominated Ohio Senate has voted to override GOP Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors.
The legislation also restricts transgender women’s and girls’ participation on sports teams.
Since the Republican-majority Ohio House already voted to override the veto, the law will take effect in roughly 90 days from Wednesday’s vote.
DeWine vetoed the bill last year but signed an executive order banning gender-affirming surgeries for anyone under 18, even though medical professionals say the procedures aren’t happening.
Over 20 states have enacted similar bans, many of which are facing legal challenges or have been blocked by judges.
Legislature puts tobacco control in the state’s hands
Lawmakers at the Statehouse also overrode DeWine’s veto of a measure that forbids cities from voting to restrict things like smoking, e-cigarettes and sales of flavored vaping products.
That cancels out Columbus’ ban on the sale of flavored tobacco and menthol tobacco products, which was supposed to start this year.
The measure says regulating tobacco and alternative nicotine products should be up to the state, not municipalities.
Anti-tobacco advocates and DeWine call the override a win for big tobacco and Democrats say that the measure violates Ohio’s home rule provision that allows local governments to pass their own policies.