Former Ohio gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Representative Jim Renacci called out Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted’s stance on House Bill 68.
Renacci, in an X post, suggested that Husted has taken a different stance than the governor on the issue due to his intentions to run in the next gubernatorial election, as last year he filed a “Designation of Treasurer” with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office and launched a campaign website.
“So in 2020 Husted stood with DeWine on, Shutdowns, Mask Mandates, Curfews, Vaccination. But today, he has “an opinion” that HB 68 should pass, even though DeWine vetoed it. What’s different today, Husted is running for governor now and wants you to forget. NEVER FORGET,” Renacci wrote in an X post on Friday.
So in 2020 Husted stood with DeWine on, Shutdowns, Mask Mandates, Curfews, Vaccination. But today, he has "an opinion" that HB 68 should pass, even though DeWine vetoed it. What's different today,
Husted is running for governor now and wants you to forget. NEVER FORGET— Jim Renacci (@JimRenacci) January 5, 2024
On December 29, 2023, Governor Mike DeWine vetoed House Bill 68, which is a combination of two bills: the Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act and the Save Women’s Sports Act.
The SAFE Act, if enacted, would prevent doctors from providing minors with gender-affirming care, which includes performing gender reassignment surgery and prescribing cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers. The Save Women’s Sports Act, if enacted, would prevent biological males who identify as transgender from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
However, on Friday, DeWine signed an executive order banning gender transition surgeries for minors at any hospital or ambulatory surgical facility in the Buckeye State.
While the governor’s executive action bans surgeries for minors, it does not ban other gender-affirming care for minors, including prescribed cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers, as House Bill 68 would.
Before the governor vetoed House Bill 68, Husted announced his support for the legislation, saying at the time, “I’ve been asked my opinion on HB 68. I support it for two main reasons: Men should not compete in women’s sports. Permanent medical decisions concerning gender should not be made when you are a child. I hope the SAFE Act will become law in Ohio.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Jim Renacci” by Jim Renacci. Photo “Jon Husted” by Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted.
