COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Republican lawmakers at the Ohio Statehouse could override two of Gov. Mike DeWine’s vetoes.
Republican strategist Matt Dole said that about 5% of gubernatorial vetoes across the country are overridden. Here in Ohio, if state lawmakers do override one or both vetoes, it would be the first since 2021.
“I think everybody saw a veto override coming,” Dole said.
On Friday, DeWine vetoed House Bill 68, which has both the “Save Women’s Sports Act” and the “SAFE Act,” two measures that would affect transgender youth in Ohio. Republican lawmakers said it will protect kids, but the DeWine disagreed, saying it will have a negative impact.
“He may be the only person in the state who thinks a veto was necessary, certainly on his side of the aisle,” Dole said.
Now, House members are convening next week, on January 10, in a likely attempt to override that veto.
“We have a very conservative legislature and so I think that’s why you see the swiftness in the legislature wanting to override the governor’s veto,” Democratic strategist Derrick Clay said. “You don’t see it that often.”
Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) has not called for a session next week in his chamber, but he can do so anytime with 24 hours’ notice.
Since DeWine has been governor, the legislature has overridden one of his vetoes — in 2021, that bill had to do with public health orders and states of emergencies.
“The legislature is elected by the people; Republicans have been overwhelmingly elected to represent the people in the General Assembly and they have the right to see through their polices,” Dole said.
To override a veto, each chamber needs a 3/5 majority. The House, which currently has 66 active Republican members, needs 59 votes. The Senate, with 26 Republican members, needs 20.
House Bill 68 passed in both chambers, with enough votes to theoretically override a veto, with 62 “yea” votes in the House and 24 “yea” votes in the Senate. But strategists on both sides of the aisle say the votes aren’t a sure thing until they are rung in.
“The Speaker has to make sure his folks are going to be back, and they have the votes to override it,” Dole said. “Not a definite thing, but certainly likely.”
“The mere fact that we had one right before the holiday and now it looks like we are going to have one maybe even next week, says a lot about this legislature,” Clay said.
If the House Bill 68 veto is overridden, the bill will go into effect 90 days after the vote.
Dole said while he thinks an override is likely, there are other factors, beyond making sure members are present. For example, Dole said, “The governor gets the opportunity to share what he believes with legislators. DeWine also proposed enacting different rules related to House Bill 68.
“I think it’s definitely something for them to consider, to have some of this be worked out in the rules process,” Clay said.
Before the new year, the House also overrode another veto, on a topic the governor has vetoed twice. State lawmakers first passed a bill in 2022 to make it so local governments could not ban the sale of flavored tobacco products; DeWine vetoed it then. Then lawmakers passed the same provision in the state budget at the end of June; it was, again, met by a veto.
The Senate still needs to take a vote on the tobacco override, but a Senate Republican caucus spokesperson said there is support within the chamber to do so. Lawmakers have until the end of the General Assembly, or the end of 2024, to override either veto.
