#Gov. Mike DeWine

[dontmean2bepoliticalbut]

[cannabisbusinessexecutive]

Ohio House leaves marijuana users in limbo with weed policy

Ohio House lawmakers are puff, puff passing on dealing with marijuana policy until February, leaving marijuana enthusiasts in limbo. Ohio’s new recreational marijuana law is now in effect, allowing adults 21 years of age and older to smoke. Under the law passed by voters, individual Ohioans would also be able to grow up to six plants, but up to 12 per household. Click here to learn more about…

[contemplatingoutlander]

Ohio governor vetoes ban on gender-affirming care for minors

This is a really important development. Gov. DeWine is a Republican, yet he listened to the common sense of advocates FOR quality gender-affirming healthcare for youth. Here are some excerpts from the article:

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine struck down a bill that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors, breaking from fellow Republican governors’ precedent and preserving such care for residents beyond his state as well, because families of transgender youths who live in states with bans have been traveling to Ohio for treatment. [...] “This bill would impact a very small number of Ohio’s children. But for those children who face gender dysphoria, the consequences of this bill could not be more profound. Ultimately I believe this is about protecting human life,” DeWine said Friday during a news conference announcing the decision. “Many parents have told me that their child would not have survived, would be dead today, if they had not received the treatment they received from one of Ohio’s children’s hospitals.” “These are gut-wrenching decisions that should be made by parents and should be informed by teams of doctors who are advising them,” DeWine continued. “Were I to sign House Bill 68, or were House Bill 68 to become law, Ohio would be saying that the state, that the government knows better what is medically best for a child than the two people who love that child the most: The parents.” [...] Hundreds of people testified in hearings on the legislation this year, with 87 people testifying during a state Senate committee hearing in early December that stretched past 11 p.m. A majority of them testified against the bill, and many of those who supported the ban flew in from out of state to testify. [color emphasis added]

A different but related WaPo article is also worth reading.

Her story fueled anti-trans bills. Now, she’s fighting them.

This article is about a detransitioner, Carey Callahan, who at one time opposed gender affirming care for youth but now realizes she was wrong. Callahan and 19 other detransitioners were among the people who testified against the bill and in support of gender-affirming healthcare.

Here is an excerpt from Callahan's testimony:

“The proponents of this bill have not produced a patient who detransitioned or felt regretful about the treatment they received who attended one of our six pediatric programs,” Callahan said. “Quality health care prevents detransition — not a lack of health care. The rigor of Ohio’s six programs prevents detransition, which is why you have not heard of even one detransitioner who received pediatric gender-affirming care in Ohio.” [color emphasis added]

[so-i-did-this-thing]

TRANS OHIOANS - START STOCKPILING YOUR HRT AND PLAN HOW YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE YOUR TRANSITION CARE

Ohio has taken a page out of Florida’s book and is proposing to effectively ban adult transition care via the requirements of numerous specialists - a psychiatrist, endocrinologist, and a bioethicist.

Since most trans people get their HRT from nurse practioners via the informed consent model, this will create undue burden on both trans people and the medical system -- the bottlenecks will effectively ban transition care for adults. This is what has happened in Florida, and Ohio's rules look much more draconian and surveiliance-heavy. All trans healthcare will be reported to the state.

These new rules have not taken effect yet. Trans Ohioans should plan for the worst now.

The rules are open to public comment through 5pm Friday, Jan 19, 2024. The full copy of the rules and how to comment are below:

https://mha.ohio.gov/about-us/rules-and-regulations/rules/draft-rules/gender-transition-care

As a Floridian who saw the writing on the wall and fled his state (my clinic hasn't been allowed to fill HRT prescriptions since May 2023 now) -- do not delay on making preparations. If this is approved, the rules will likely catch everyone by surprise. Start talking with your providers now and plan out your options assuming the ban will take place.

Informed folks to follow on Twitter:

Alejandra

Erin

[wilwheaton]

The two programs under which Haitians fleeing some of the worst political chaos and gang violence in the Western Hemisphere have been OK’d by the Biden administration to remain in the United States as protected refugees are perfectly legal, and if Vance thinks otherwise he should challenge the rulings in court, not by demagoguing it on the campaign trail. There’s considerable evidence that the 20,000 figure that Vance and other right-wingers have claimed is the number of Haitians who’ve moved to Springfield during the President Joe Biden years is a big exaggeration. And even local Republican politicians are calling out Vance’s lies, including a heartfelt essay by GOP Gov. Mike DeWine, who’s from the Springfield area. [...] Three days after the debate, Vance tweeted: “In Springfield, Ohio, there has been a massive rise in communicable diseases, rent prices, car insurance rates, and crime." [...] The claim about a massive rise in communicable disease in Springfield or surrounding Clark County is just a flat-out lie. To the contrary, county officials say 2023 was actually the lowest overall for contagious illnesses in eight years. Vance’s false claim hinges on a yearly rise in two specific diseases — tuberculosis and HIV injections — yet local officials note these numbers are so small they tend to fluctuate from year to year, and there’s no evidence Haitian Americans played any role.

Will Bunch: JD Vance’s new lies about immigrants are worse than ‘eating dogs and cats’

Lies on top of lies, wrapped up in lies.

Because he has no record of his own, and Trump’s record is indefensible.

And they have no plan to help anyone but themselves and a handful of oligarchs. And, of course, Russia. 

We are not going back. Check your voter registration every week between now and your state’s deadline. Make a plan to vote, and vote as early as you can.

The sooner we don’t ever have to hear these clowns again, the better. Let’s do this.

[yesornopolls]

Did you know Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill into law banning transgender students from using school bathrooms and locker rooms that match up with their gender identity? This applies to Kindergarten through university at both public and private schools, and it also bans students from sharing overnight accommodations with people of the opposite sex at K-12 schools.

[vague-humanoid]

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law on Thursday changes to the state’s public records statute that allow law enforcement agencies to charge hundreds of dollars for body camera footage. Though such videos are central to watchdog reporting and police oversight, Ohio opted to join a handful of states that have made it easier for cops to put a steep price tag on transparency.

“Public bodies should be in the business of making it easier — not harder — for the public and the press to access important government records like body worn camera footage,” said Gunita Singh, an attorney at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “There’s no need to impose vast sums of money onto requesters doing their part to foster transparency and accountability.”

[republicansaredomesticterrorists]

Trump’s very fine people.

🖕🍊🐖

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ryan Adamczeski at The Advocate:

Within 90 days, educators in Ohio will be forbidden from discussing LGBTQ+ identities — unless it's to forcibly out queer students to their guardians. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law Wednesday H.B. 8, officially named the so-called "Parents' Bill of Rights" but colloquially known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill for its similarities to Florida's 2022 law. DeWine signed the legislation behind closed doors, despite signing another bill into law in front of news cameras the same day.

H.B. 8 prohibits educators from discussing "sexuality content" in grades K-3, and mandates that instruction at other levels be "age appropriate." The bill defines "sexuality content" as "oral or written instruction, presentation, image or description of sexual concepts or gender ideology." It does not define "sexual concepts," "gender ideology," nor "age appropriate." The bill also requires school staff to notify parents of “any change in the student’s services, including counseling services, or monitoring related to the student’s mental, emotional or physical health or well-being," specifically marking transgender identity as reason for notification. The policy also encompasses sexual orientation, and makes no exceptions for cases where a student is at risk of abuse. One-third of LGBTQ+ minors who were outed without their consent were more likely to experience depression, as well as face less support from their families, according to a study from the University of Connecticut. Two-thirds said that the event caused significant stress.

Shame on you, Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH), for signing a student safety-endangering combo Don’t Say Gay or Trans and forced outing bill!

[cannabisbusinessexecutive]

Adults can now legally possess and grow marijuana in Ohio — but there's nowhere to buy it

Ohioans woke up Thursday in a land of limbo for recreational marijuana use: Adults can now legally grow and possess cannabis at home, but cannot legally buy it. On Wednesday night, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine urged lawmakers to quickly set parameters for Issue 2, the citizen initiative voters approved in November. While the state Senate pushed through an 11th-hour deal hours before the law took…

[covid-safer-hotties]

COVID-19 cases jump 2,000, to more than 10,000, as Ohio pushes new vaccine: Coronavirus update for Thursday, Aug. 29

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio took a large leap this week, from 8,352 last week to 10,418 this week, the state reported Thursday.

This week saw the weekly case number climb over the 10,000-mark for the first time since January. It also was the 13th straight week that the case number has increased, continuing an upward swing that began in early June.

At the same time last year, the state reported just over 7,000 cases.

The best protection against COVID-19 is the updated vaccine for the 2024-2025 season, said Ohio Department of Health director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said in a Thursday news conference.

The updated, one-shot vaccine, which is formulated to be effective against the variants currently in circulation, is available in some Ohio locations, he said. People also can find a vaccine shot at vaccines.gov locator.

“We expect availability to increase as we move into September,” Vanderhoff said.

At least 1,384,882 Ohioans have received the updated one-dose COVID-19 vaccine, an increase of 382 people from the prior week, the state reported. This represents 11.8% of the state’s population.

The total COVID-19 case count since early 2020 in Ohio has reached 3,807,492.

There were 252 Ohioans newly hospitalized in the last week, raising the total since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 to 153,282. Five people were admitted into the ICU, raising the total since 2020 to 15,865.

The state health department reported an additional 32 deaths from COVID-19, raising the total to 44,146. Death reporting sometimes lags by weeks.

COVID-19 tests are still free for people enrolled in Medicaid, Vanderhoff said. The federal government recently announced that it will once again provide free COVID-19 tests, starting in late September. Americans will be able to order up to four tests per household at this link.

“Tests are an important tool, not just so you can protect others, but also in determining whether you might benefit from treatment,” Vanderhoff said.

Gov. Mike DeWine, who announced he had COVID-19 on Aug. 20, Is back to his normal work schedule after treatment with an antiviral medication, Vanderhoff said.

Aug. 29 recap

Total reported cases: 3,807,492, up 10,418.

Total individuals with updated vaccine: 1,384,882, up 382.

Total reported deaths: 44,146 up 32.

Total reported hospitalizations: 153,282, up 252.

Total reported ICU admissions: 15,865, up 5.

Aug. 22 recap

Total reported cases: 3,797,074, up 8,352.

Total individuals with updated vaccine: 1,384,500, up 640.

Total reported deaths: 44,114, up 21.

Total reported hospitalizations: 153,030, up 216.

Total reported ICU admissions: 15,860, up 7.

[libraford]

Fucking make it stop.