Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has vetoed a bill from the state legislature that would ban access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
In vetoing Senate Bill 233, the Governor issued a statement saying, “This divisive legislation targets a small group of Kansans by placing government mandates on them and dictating to parents how to best raise and care for their children. I do not believe that is a conservative value, and it’s certainly not a Kansas value. To be clear, this legislation tramples parental rights. The last place that I would want to be as a politician is between a parent and a child who needed medical care of any kind. And, yet, that is exactly what this legislation does.”
The legislature is expected to attempt to override the veto when it returns later this month.
Several organizations, including the ACLU of Kansas, Equality Kansas, Kansas Interfaith Action, Loud Light, Mainstream, Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, and Trust Women Foundation are warning legislators that the bill’s extreme reach could have unintended consequences and urging them to sustain the governor’s veto. They argue that the bill could broadly censor all kinds of conduct by state employees who support trans students, such as teachers, social workers, and counselors.
