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Trans Ohioans, advocates criticize proposed rules for healthcare providers

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Trans Ohioans, advocates criticize proposed rules for healthcare providers


Transgender Ohioans and advocates expressed concerns with Ohio’s proposed rules for providers of gender-affirming care at a public hearing on Monday.

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services proposed rules to implement House Bill 68, which would restrict medical care for transgender children. Those who testified were troubled by insufficient numbers of providers, particularly psychologists and endocrinologists, in Ohio to handle the reporting requirements under the proposed rules.

The proposed rules would require gender-affirming care providers to submit treatment plans annually. The Ohio Department of Health rules would require healthcare providers to report any gender-related condition diagnosis, prescription or beginning or ending of treatment including gender reassignment surgery and gender transition services to the Department of Health within 30 business days.

The health department said it will share this data, without any information that would identify individual patients, with the legislature and the public each January 31 and July 31.

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Dustin McKee, CEO of the Ohio Psychological Association, suggested the term “gender-related condition” be replaced with gender dysphoria which is a specific clinical diagnosis. McKee also said he is worried the reporting requirement may discourage a population already distrustful of the medical establishment from seeking medically necessary care.

Many speakers called for the rules to be rescinded entirely.

“There is no right way to do the wrong thing,” said Lee Tepper, chair of the Kaleidoscope Youth Center board of directors.

Sean McCann, a policy strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the ACLU’s legal team is in the process of speaking with plaintiffs and experts but the organization plans to file a lawsuit before HB 68 would go into effect on April 24.

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Oliver Licking, a representative of Equitas Health, which provides gender-affirming care in Ohio, told reporters after the hearing that he is concerned not only about transgender people and their families leaving Ohio but also about healthcare providers choosing not to practice in Ohio.

“There’s a projection that we could lose residents wanting to get residency in the state of Ohio because they are going to look at the health care environment in Ohio and say ‘Look at all of these restrictions. Why would I learn and establish myself in this state? I’m going to go pick a residency somewhere else,’ and that could create major ripple effects in healthcare of all kinds,” he said.

Erin Glynn is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.



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Will a new bill help bring Ohio’s public service delivery into the 21st century?

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Will a new bill help bring Ohio’s public service delivery into the 21st century?


Ohio House Bill 834 is a bill designed to improve delivery of government services. Some states have seen success with similar programs. Government efficiency will not solve all problems in the state, but promoting efficiency in service delivery is low-hanging fruit.



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32-year-old Ohio man killed, two fighting for life after crash on Route 5 in Henrico

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32-year-old Ohio man killed, two fighting for life after crash on Route 5 in Henrico


HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A 32-year-old Ohio man is dead and two others are fighting for their lives after a crash on Route 5 in Henrico County Monday morning.

According to police, officers with the Henrico County Police Division and crews with Henrico County Division of Fire were called to Route 5 near New Market Heights Lane at around 6:15 a.m. on Monday, May 4, for a reported two-vehicle crash.

When officers arrived, they found a red Mini Cooper that crashed into a Chevrolet Express van.

Two men in the van were taken to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries, according to police.

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Thirty-two-year-old Layten Perkins of Ohio, the driver and only person in the Mini Cooper, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said a preliminary investigation indicates that the Mini Cooper, driven by Perkins, was headed west on Route 5 when he crossed the center line and hit the Chevrolet heading eastbound head-on.

The road was closed for about four hours, before it reopened at 10:21 a.m., police said.

Alcohol is not considered a factor in the crash, but Crash Team Investigators continue to look into the circumstances surrounding this crash.

Anyone with further information regarding this incident is asked to contact Officer C. Bolinger at 804-501-5000. You may also submit tips anonymously via Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000 or by using P3tips.com.

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Gov. Mike DeWine urges Ohio residents to take advantage of sales tax holiday

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Gov. Mike DeWine urges Ohio residents to take advantage of sales tax holiday


PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is encouraging Ohioans to take advantage of this year’s sales tax holiday, which will take place from midnight Friday, Aug. 7, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026.

The following items qualify for the sales tax exemption during the three-day holiday: clothing priced at $75 or less per item, school supplies priced at $20 or less per item, and school instructional materials priced at $20 or less per item.

According to the Ohio Department of Taxation, “clothing” includes but is not limited to, aprons, household and shop; athletic supporters; baby receiving blankets; bathing suits and caps; beach capes and coats; belts and suspenders; boots; coats and jackets; costumes; diapers, children and adult, including disposable diapers; earmuffs; footlets; formal wear; garters and garter belts; girdles; gloves and mittens for general use; hats and caps; hosiery; insoles for shoes; lab coats; neckties; overshoes; pantyhose; rainwear; rubber pants; sandals; scarves; shoes and shoe laces; slippers; sneakers; socks and stockings; steel-toed shoes; underwear; uniforms, athletic and nonathletic; and wedding apparel.

“School supplies” only includes binders; book bags; calculators; cellophane tape; blackboard chalk; compasses; composition books; crayons; erasers; folders, expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila; glue, paste, and paste sticks; highlighters; index cards; index card boxes; legal pads; lunch boxes; markers; notebooks; paper, loose-leaf notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board, and construction paper; pencil boxes and other school supply boxes; pencil sharpeners; pencils; pens; protractors; rulers; scissors; and writing tablets.

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“School instructional materials” only includes reference books, reference maps and globes, textbooks, and workbooks.

In 2026, the sales tax holiday only applies to the above back to school items. It does not apply to items that are $500 or less, food in restaurants, boats/watercrafts, titled outboard motors, motor vehicles, alcohol, tobacco, vape products, or items with marijuana. It also does not apply to taxable services and items purchased for use in business.

For more information about this year’s sales tax holiday in Ohio, you can visit the Ohio Department of Taxation’s website.

Copyright 2026 WTAP. All rights reserved.



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