Carrie Ruffalt, a spokeswoman for Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins (R), told The Washington Post that she expects the Senate to begin voting on the bill after April 29, when the veto begins. .
If two-thirds of the Senate approves the bill, it will be sent to the House of Representatives, which would also need two-thirds approval. “House Republicans stand ready to overturn it,” Hawkins said in a statement Friday. [the] Vote your veto to protect Kansas’ vulnerable children. ”
There are 40 Democrats and 85 Republicans in the Kansas House of Representatives, and 11 Democrats and 29 Republicans in the Senate. The bill passed 82-39 in the House and 27-13 in the Senate, largely along party lines. To override a veto, the House must add two yes votes, and the Senate cannot lose a yes vote.
The success or failure of the vote in the part-time parliament will largely depend on the number of people present.
“If there are any absences, that’s going to change the number of people we need to meet,” said Don Heider Markel, a political science professor at the University of Kansas. “People have to leave and return home for work or family-related matters. Therefore, it is very likely that they do not have enough votes in both chambers to override the veto.”
In his veto message, Kelly wrote that he vetoed the bill because it “trampled on the rights of parents,” a common refrain used by conservatives to defend book restrictions in public libraries and schools. This is a phrase that is often used.
“This divisive law targets a minority of Kansan people by imposing government mandates on them and dictating to parents how to best raise and care for their children,” Kelly said. said. “The last place I want to be a politician is between parents and children who need medical care of any kind. But that’s exactly what this law is for.”
House Republican leaders denounced the veto.
“As we watch other states, nations, and organizations reverse testing procedures on children, Laura Kelly is on the wrong side of history with her reckless veto of common-sense protections for minors in Kansas.” You’ll definitely find yourself there,” Hawkins said. in a statement Friday.
Last year, Mr. Kelly introduced a bill that would ban transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ K-12 and college sports teams, as well as end state legal recognition of transgender people’s gender identity. He vetoed four bills that would place restrictions on transgender people, including the bill. According to the Kansas City Star, Republicans overrode their vetoes on three of those bills.
A record number of bills targeting transgender people have passed through state legislatures in recent years. Lawmakers introduced nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills during the 2024 legislative session, according to data compiled by the American Civil Liberties Union. Lawmakers have introduced more than 400 such bills through May 2023, up from about 150 in 2022, according to the Washington Post.
According to the ACLU, many of these bills target minors’ use of gender-affirming care, restrooms, locker rooms, pronouns, and other facilities such as drag shows. Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa and Tennessee have the highest rates of anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced this year, according to the ACLU.
Ohio’s Republican supermajority in January overrode Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s December veto of the bill, banning gender-affirming care for minors. The law prohibits hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and gender reassignment surgery for people under 18. The bill would also ban transgender girls from playing on high school and college sports teams designated for girls and women.
Similar to Ohio’s bill, Kansas’ SB 233 would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The bill would also limit the use of state funds for gender-affirming care.Prohibit the use of state property, including About such care at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Prohibits state employees who work with children from promoting or advocating for gender-affirming care. Under the measure, health care providers who violate the ban will have their licenses revoked.
Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, and Endocrine Society, oppose restrictions on gender-affirming care. The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have said gender-affirming care for transgender children is “medically necessary.”
rights protection The groups warned state lawmakers that the bill’s overreach could have unintended consequences.
“The harm this bill will cause to some of Kansas’ most vulnerable children and their families cannot be overstated,” DC Heegert, an LGBTQ+ fellow with the ACLU of Kansas, said in a statement after the veto. There’s no such thing as too much.” “This bill attacks the right of parents to receive life-saving medical care for their children and threatens health care providers in Kansas. And this document is so broadly written that schools, therapists offices, state agencies such as the Kansas Department of Children and Families, and even anyone who provides any support or services to children in those locations. ”
Haider Marker, who writes about transgender rights and politics, predicts the bill will encourage parents of transgender children to move out of state for medical care.
The bill “will be life-changing for young people and their families, and we fear the way it targets families will cause many families with transgender loved ones to consider leaving the state.” I think so,” he said.
