DeWine downplays impact of budget bill criticized as anti-LGBTQ

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is allowing a provision to stand in the state’s recently signed budget bill that would allow medical providers the ability to deny treatment for people on the basis of “moral, ethical, or religious beliefs,” cleveland.com reported. 

The provision has implications for people in the LGBT community who could be at risk of having services by providers, who may cite religious or ethical beliefs, denied to them on the basis of their sexuality. 

DeWine paralleled the situation to abortion, an issue which has faced major pushback from religious communities. 

“Let’s say the doctor is against abortion,” DeWine said, according to Cleveland.com. “If the doctor is not doing abortions, if there’s other things that maybe a doctor has a conscience problem with, it’s worked out. Somebody else does those things.”

“This is not a problem, has not been a problem in the state of Ohio and I do not expect it to be a problem,” he continued.

DeWine denied that people would be discriminated against when trying to receive medical care.

“People are not going to be discriminated against in regards to medical care,” DeWine said. “We have a vibrant medical care system in the state of Ohio. We have great doctors. We have great nurses. We have great systems.”

The Human Rights Campaign, however, argued the opposite.

“Today Governor DeWine enshrined LGBTQ discrimination into law, threatening the medical well being of more than 380,000 LGBTQ people in Ohio, one of the largest LGBTQ populations anywhere in the country,” Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said in a statement, according to Cleveland.com

“With Ohio hospital and insurance associations standing against this dangerous measure, Governor DeWine is going against medical best practice and recommendations to score cheap political points,” he continued.