OH governor betrays kids, women, families in SAFE Act veto
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Matt Sharp regarding Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto Friday of H.B. 68, the Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation Act, legislation designed to protect parents and children from the pressure and administration of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and identity-driven surgeries for minors. The bill includes the Save Women’s Sports Act, which requires single-sex teams and sports at schools, state institutions of education, and private colleges:
“Gov. DeWine betrayed Ohio’s children, women, and families by vetoing H.B. 68. This critical legislation protects vulnerable kids from harmful and experimental puberty blockers, hormones, and sterilizing surgeries, and it safeguards a fair and level playing field for women athletes. By vetoing the bill, Gov. DeWine ignored the growing body of evidence about the damage that these drugs and surgeries inflict on children’s minds and bodies. And he dismissed the harm to women athletes who are losing spots on the podium and having their athletic opportunities stripped away by policies that allow men to compete on women’s teams. We hope the Ohio Legislature will put the state’s children, women, and families first and promptly override this veto.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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ABOUT Matt Sharp
Matt Sharp serves as senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, where he is the director of the Center for Public Policy. In this role, he leads ADF's team of policy experts as they craft legislation and advise government officials on policies that promote free speech, religious freedom, parental rights, and the sanctity of human life. Since joining ADF in 2010, Sharp has authored federal and state legislation, regularly provides testimony and legal analysis on how proposed legislation will impact constitutional freedoms, and advises governors, legislators, and state and national policy organizations on the importance of laws and policies that protect First Amendment rights. He has twice testified before the U.S. Congress on the importance of protecting free speech and religious liberty in federal law. Sharp also authored an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of nearly 9,000 students, parents, and community members asking the court to uphold students’ right to privacy against government intrusion. Sharp earned his J.D. in 2006 from the Vanderbilt University School of Law. A member of the bar in Georgia and Tennessee, he is also admitted to practice in several federal courts.