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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 30 december 2023

Ohio’s GOP governor vetoes ban on gender-affirming care and

transgender athletes in girls’ sports

By SAMANTHA HENDRICK- Center for Christian Virtue
SON and JULIE CARR SMYTH President Aaron Baer both
Associated Press/Report called on the Legislature to
For America override his veto.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — “Mike DeWine has failed
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike Ohio, and it’s our children
DeWine vetoed a measure who are going to pay the
Friday that would have price,” Baer said in a state-
banned gender-affirming ment.
care for minors, casting Terry Schilling, president of
the action out of step with the conservative American
many in his own party as Principles Project, said in
thoughtful, limited and a statement that DeWine
“pro-life.” had succumbed to “egre-
He simultaneously an- gious lies” being perpetu-
nounced plans to move to ated about transgender
administratively ban trans- care. He said history would
gender surgeries until a remember that DeWine
person is 18, and to position “gave into cowardice and
the state to better regulate caved to the transgender
and track gender-affirming industry that is preying on
treatments in both children so many vulnerable indi-
and adults. viduals.”
At a news conference, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks during a news conference, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, in Columbus, Republican state Rep.
DeWine said he hoped the Ohio. Gary Click, the bill’s spon-
hybrid approach could win Associated Press sor, commended DeWine
the support of legislative girls’ and women’s sports. “Ultimately, these tough, that child go through ago- for trying to wrap his mind
Republicans who immedi- DeWine said he listened to tough decisions should ny, the parents who worry around a complex prob-
ately signaled they’re con- people on both sides of the not be made by the gov- about that child every sin- lem in a short amount of
sidering a veto override as legislation who all “sincere- ernment. They should not gle day of their life.” time. He defended his own
well as serve as a national ly and truly believe their be made by the state of The governor’s veto drew years of research on the
model to states, as gender- position best protects chil- Ohio,” DeWine said. “They swift rebukes Friday from bill, and said he was par-
affirming care restrictions dren,” ultimately deciding should be made by the supporters of gender-af- ticularly disappointed that
enacted across the coun- he could not support legis- people who love these kids firming care bans, both in the ban on transgender
try in recent years face law- lation that bans healthcare the most, and that’s the the state and nationally. girls playing sports could be
suits. so many patients, families parents. The parents who Republican Bernie Moreno, sidelined if non-legislative
The vetoed bill also would and doctors told him is sav- have raised that child, the a Trump-endorsed candi- solutions were pursued on
have banned transgender ing lives. parents who have seen date for U.S. Senate, and gender-affirming care.q
athletes’ participation in

2023’s problems and peeves are bid a symbolic farewell at pre-

New Year’s Times Square event

By ROBERT BUMSTED “The whole world is going experiences. Wars, infla- just give everyone a break now that she’s learned she
Associated Press through this. There’s lots of tion, life has been rough. from those terrible things,” has high cholesterol levels.
NEW YORK (AP) — One per- people going through bad I’m just hoping for 2024 to Angel Villaneuva of Wash- But on a broader level, the
son wanted to get past an- ington said after watching New Yorker is sad about
ger issues. Others sought to his personal banes bad conflict around the world.
turn the page on medical relationships and negative “We should be focusing on
bills, work stress, insecurities, energy and experiences humanity, instead of fight-
taxes, regrets, bad habits, go up in smoke. ing with each other,” Vera
bad hair days, COVID-19, Previous iterations of said.
worrying about what other “Good Riddance Day” Natasha Naheir was keen
people think, and “all neg- have involved shredders to be done with college
ativity of 2023.” and a dumpster. But this applications, school, bad
People hoping to shed year, magician Devonte hair and makeup days,
those and other prob- Rosero used a grill lighter and fake friends. Naheir,
lems converged on Times and a flourish of his hand to who was visiting from North
Square Thursday for “Good quickly incinerate pieces of Carolina, is excited for
Riddance Day,” a promo- paper on which Villaneu- 2024: “There’s a lot we can
tional pre-New Year’s Eve va and others had written improve from this year,” she
event that offers a chance down what they wanted to said.
to, at least symbolically, put behind them. Despite all the troubles of
cast away burdens, peeves Magician Devonte Rosero, right, burns notes written by people For Carol Vera, that’s fast 2023, Villaneuva is optimis-
and bad memories. in Times Square in New York, Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. food and unhealthy snacks, tic, too.q
Associated Press