COLUMBUS–The Ohio House of Representatives just passed two critical bills on three major CCV-backed priorities: the SAFE Act with the Save Women's Sports Act amended into it (HB68) was passed with a 64-28 vote, and the Parents’ Bill of Rights (HB8) was passed with a 65-29 vote.

If passed into law, these crucial bills would:

• Ban dangerous puberty-blocking drugs, wrong-sex hormones, and transgender surgeries on children.

• Protect children from being taken from parents’ custody when parents decline harmful transgender medical procedures on their children.

• Preserve the integrity of women’s sports by protecting female athletes from having to compete against biological males in high school and college.

• Recognize the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding their children’s upbringing, care, and education.

• Require public schools to provide advance notification to parents about the teaching of sexual content to students. 

• Protect students from being encouraged by school counselors to “socially transition” to the opposite sex without their parents’ knowledge and require schools to notify parents if a student requests a change of gender recognition at school.

The bills now head to the Ohio Senate.

The following is a statement from Center for Christian Virtue President Aaron Baer:  

“For far too long, children have been subjected to dangerous medical experimentation, and harmful political agendas. Today, the Ohio House took historic action to protect children.

“By passing the SAFE Act, Save Women's Sports Act, and Parents' Bill of Rights, the Ohio House is working to ensure children can safely grow up in a state that won't compromise their privacy, safety, and even their future fertility. In many ways, it's hard to believe we have to pass laws simply to say that it's wrong to sterilize children, or to force girls to compete against boys, or for the government to keep medical information from parents. But the left has lost all grounding in biological realities and simple moral clarity, making these bills desperately needed. 

 “In this political climate, it takes courage to fight for kids, and that's why I'm so sincerely grateful for the leadership of Rep. Gary Click, the sponsor of the SAFE Act, Rep. Jena Powell, the sponsor of the Save Women's Sports Act, and Rep. D.J. Swearingen and Rep. Sara Carruthers, the sponsors of the Parents' Bill of Rights. Speaker of the House Jason Stephens also deserves our gratitude for bringing these life-saving and child-protecting measures to the floor for a vote.”

For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or contact@ccv.org.

As Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel. 

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