Ohio Senate expected to override Governor’s veto of HB 68 curtailing gender-affirming care for transgender youth
Governor DeWine consulted parents and Ohio’s major children’s hospitals before deciding to veto HB 68, which would severely curtail gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The Ohio House voted earlier this month to override the veto, and Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman expects the Senate to follow suit, possibly as soon as Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 24. To find your Ohio Senator, go to the Ohio Legislature home page and put your address in the Who Represents Me box to connect immediately with the picture of your legislators. Click on the Senator and you’ll land on his or her page with the office phone number and email.
The Episcopal Church adopted resolutions (see p. 62) calling on Episcopalians to “advocate for access to gender affirming care in all forms (social, medical, or any other) and at all ages,” support “public policies at the local, state, and national levels in all our countries to support gender affirming care,” (GC 2022-D066) and to “oppose all legislation seeking to deny dignity, equality, and civil rights of transgender people (EC 062016.08).”
The 2018 General Convention also passed a resolution condemning (see p. 25) “the continued use of scapegoating language in all its forms and protecting the various status of individuals who are made vulnerable in our current society. The church repudiates the acts of violence that inevitably result from the rhetoric and tactics of political scapegoating.” (GC 2018-A230).
The Rev. Nick Bates of the Hunger Network in Ohio shared these statistics showing that the current situation is already extremely dangerous for trans youth, even before HB 68 goes into effect.
LGTBQIA+ youth report:
- Nearly 1 in 5 transgender and nonbinary youth considered suicide last year.
- 60% of LGBTQIA+ youth who sought mental healthcare were unable to get it.
- 37% of trans and nonbinary youth report being physically threatened or harmed due to their gender identity.
- 42% of independently homeless youth are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
(For more information: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ or https://equalityohio.org/)
If the Senate overrides the veto, HB 68 will go into effect. It “would prevent doctors from prescribing hormones, puberty blockers or gender transition surgery before patients turn 18. It also would prohibit transgender girls and women from playing on female sports teams in high school and college,” explains Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Hailey BeMiller.
“Ohioans already receiving hormones or puberty blockers could continue if House Bill 68 becomes law, as long as doctors determine stopping the prescription would cause harm. The legislation does not ban talk therapy, but it requires mental health providers to get permission from at least one parent or guardian to diagnose and treat gender dysphoria.
“Right now, the Ohio High School Athletic Association allows transgender girls to join female teams if they’ve completed at least one year of hormone therapy. Seven transgender girls were approved to play girls’ sports at OHSAA schools for the 2023-24 school year.”
Over 837,000 Ohio children could qualify for $40 a month in food this summer
Ohio has agreed to accept a new USDA summer nutrition program which will provide families $40 per child per month via an EBT (electronic benefits transfer) card. To receive this benefit, families need to apply. It’s a new program and the administrative details are still being worked out. Please watch this weekly blog for information you can share with families coming to your food ministry, and how you can work with local school districts to ensure all eligible children receive this aid.
The Children’s Defense Fund Ohio reports in its 2023 annual data profiles that “the number of kids qualifying for the no-cost or low-cost lunches, for which any student in a household with up to 185% of the federal poverty line is eligible, went from 46.6% in the 2021-22 school year to nearly 50% in the 2022-23 school year,” wrote Susan Tebben of the Ohio Capital Journal.
Bipartisan Community Solar Bill hearing Jan. 24, 11 a.m.
The House Public Utilities Committee is holding an opponent testimony hearing this Wednesday at 11 a.m. Supporters of the bill are assembling at 10:30 a.m. in the Rotunda wearing yellow for sunshine. This bill would authorize community solar projects for the first time in Ohio through a pilot program. It would make solar power available to tenants and others who otherwise face barriers to access to the savings and public health benefits of rooftop solar. State law has to allow community solar before a non-profit such as a church could install a solar array and allow low-income neighbors to enroll and benefit from the monthly utility savings.
We’ve been reporting on HB 197 since it was introduced in 2023. A previous bipartisan community solar bill died in 2022. The Episcopal Church supports clean energy and energy justice, both of which would be enhanced by this bill. To see relevant resolutions, go to this link and put “clean energy” in the search box. If you can get to Columbus on Wednesday, please attend the hearing. Supporters will not be testifying, but your presence in the hearing room could help persuade Rep. Dick Stein, Chair of Public Utilities, to schedule a vote to send the bill to the Ohio House floor. You can also see the names of the members of the Public Utilities Committee at this link and click on their names to email or call them with your views. Several represent districts in our diocese.
Supreme Court case with major implications for federal regulatory authority
Last Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments on a case which could reverse 40 years of precedent under which federal regulatory agencies can adopt rules on emerging issues like climate change when policies are not spelled out in detail in federal statutes.
“At issue is a bedrock principle of administrative law known as Chevron deference. Named after the 1984 Supreme Court case [Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council] in which it was articulated, the doctrine says that when a law Congress has passed is ambiguous, judges should defer to an agency’s interpretation if it’s reasonable,” reported Politico. “The idea was to prevent judges from second-guessing often-technical decisions by agencies with expertise. In the decades since, Chevron has become one of the high court’s most-cited cases and a regular part of rulings over government actions.
“Chevron‘s defenders also argue that Congress lacks the time and expertise to craft meticulous legislation, and instead frequently passes laws giving agencies some leeway to adapt to unforeseen situations.
“For example, the Clean Air Act requires EPA to write new rules if the agency determines a pollutant not already regulated is a threat to public health or the environment. EPA has used the flexibility to target carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that the law doesn’t explicitly mention. Under Chevron deference, EPA has a stronger legal defense for some climate rules; without it, the outlook is hazier.
“But opponents of the 40-year-old doctrine say it defies the separation of powers in the Constitution, effectively neutering federal judges and allowing agencies to aggrandize themselves by becoming the judges of their own actions.
“Although Chevron deference was named after a case involving environmental regulations, it has since been applied to virtually every kind of policy decision across the federal government. Uses in recent years include mine safety rules, the bump-stock ban, IRS whistleblower awards, veterans’ benefits and immigration policy.
“When courts apply the doctrine, agencies are much more likely to win.
“A 2017 study of thousands of circuit court rulings found that agencies won more than 77 percent of the time under Chevron deference — but just 38 percent of the time when the courts reviewed actions ‘de novo,’ meaning without any deference to the agency.”
Disinformation growing threat as billions of people prepare to elect new leaders in 2024
“As the presidential election approaches, experts warn that a convergence of events at home and abroad, on traditional and social media — and amid an environment of rising authoritarianism, deep distrust, and political and social unrest — makes the dangers from propaganda, falsehoods and conspiracy theories more dire than ever,” writes NBC correspondent Brandy Zadrozny.
“The U.S. presidential election comes during a historic year, with billions of people voting in other elections in more than 50 countries, including in Europe, India, Mexico and South Africa. And it comes at a time of ideal circumstances for disinformation and the people who spread it.
“An increasing number of voters have proven susceptible to disinformation from former President Donald Trump and his allies; artificial intelligence technology is ubiquitous; social media companies have slashed efforts to rein in misinformation on their platforms; and attacks on the work and reputation of academics tracking disinformation have chilled research.”
As you prepare to vote, and as you talk with your friends, neighbors, and colleagues, consider the advice on this link from Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations (OGR) on “Misinformation, Disinformation, Fake News: Why Do We Care?”
“As Christians, we are not called to a life of half-truths and deception. We are called to follow a God who is ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6). The Prayer Book also teaches that among our duties to our neighbors is ‘to be honest and fair in our dealings’ and to ‘speak truth, and not mislead others by our silence.’ (pg. 848) Let us therefore examine our own conduct to limit the spread of deceitful information and call upon our leaders to work towards the same.
“Learn more and equip yourself to recognize and overcome misinformation in this critical resource.”
Here is an OGR graphic you can share on your website or social media.
Advocacy briefings are compiled by Ariel Miller, a longtime community advocate and member of Ascension & Holy Trinity, Wyoming. Connect with her at arielmillerwriter@gmail.com.
