(Ohio) House Republicans passed a bill late Wednesday that would prohibit transgender girls from joining female sports teams in high school and college, shoving the proposal into an unrelated bill before taking off for summer break.
Wednesday's vote, which came on the first day of Pride Month, marked the second time Republicans sought a back-door path for the controversial measure. The House initially added it to a bill to allow college students to profit off their name, image and likeness, a move criticized by Gov. Mike DeWine when it passed last year.
This time, lawmakers attached it to legislation that provides resources and mentorship opportunities for new teachers in a 56-28 party-line vote.
The proposal would require transgender female athletes to join male or co-ed teams. If a student's biological sex is called into question, they must get a signed statement from a doctor verifying it. Schools that knowingly violate these rules could face lawsuits.
The Ohio House passed a resolution (House Resolution 194) late Wednesday night that urges the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to add Canada to a religious freedom watch list.
Republican Rep. Tim Ginter (R-Salem) backed the resolution for the way Canada handled lockdowns of churches and actions it took against religious leaders during the pandemic.
“This resolution is not the result of a singular incident or even a handful of incidents. It's a persistent pattern of religious rights violations that has driven us to this point,” Ginter said.
Rep Reggie Stoltzfus (R-Paris Township) said religious leaders who violated COVID protocols in Canada were jailed. And he says that's not a behavior Ohio should condone. He said this resolution would send a strong message to Canada.
I agree that shootings are a mental health issue, and also that we should be doing more for youth mental health than shrugging.