Senate Democrats Urge Veto of H.B. 8

Today, the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus sent a letter to Governor Mike DeWine urging him to use his executive power to veto House Bill 8, which threatens LGBTQ+ student safety and imposes excessive demands on public educators.

“This legislation contains provisions that compromise child safety in two ways: it places marginalized children at risk of harassment and abuse based on their personal identity; and it is likely to increase the prevalence of unsafe situations for children not only by allowing them to leave the school in the middle of the day, but also by impacting learning for all other children in the classroom as a result of this disturbance. House Bill 8, while altruistic in its intention, misses the mark in its efforts to reaffirm parents’ rights in educational decisions regarding their children,” reads the letter.

“These one-size-fits-all policies will ultimately chip away at the autonomy school districts and communities have enjoyed for many years, and we fear the unintended consequences may lead to greater dissatisfaction that is largely misplaced. We should be in the habit of reinforcing the decisions made locally - not inhibiting them.”

Read the full letter here.