Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) on Wednesday sharply rebuked the Ohio state Legislature for voting to override the governor’s veto of a bill that would prevent minors from seeking gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and transition surgery.
The Ohio Senate on Wednesday voted to override the Republican governor’s veto, joining the Ohio House, which voted to override the veto two weeks ago. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed the bill less than four weeks ago. The bill also prevents transgender women and teenage girls from participating in women’s college and high school sports teams.
The bill will take effect in 90 days.
In a statement, the Ohio Democrat described the bill as “a cold, callous, and calculated attack on children, parents, and families.”
“I strongly condemn the override of Governor DeWine’s veto and will continue to stand with my constituents in defense of their right to make their own health care decisions,” Brown wrote in a statement Wednesday.
“Accessing gender-affirming care is a deeply personal decision — one that should be made in consultation with family, loved ones, and medical professionals, not politicians. Ohioans deserve elected officials that put personal dignity over politics. This action by extremists in the General Assembly makes clear that we need federal legislation to further protect LGBTQ+ rights,” she continued.