Democrat Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed several bills on Friday, including one that would protect minors from sex-change drugs and procedures, and two others related to abortion.
Substitute Bill for Senate Bill 233 would have outlawed so-called “gender-affirming care” for sex-confused minors, including the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and mutilating surgeries. The bill also would have allowed for a cause of action against doctors who break the law and would have restricted the use of state funds for such procedures.
In a statement, Kelly accused the bill of infringing on parental rights.
“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,” Kelly said. “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,” she claimed. “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.”
Kelly additionally vetoed two bills that would have regulated abortion in the state. HB 2749 would have required abortion clinics and medical facilities to report the number of abortions performed, as well as the reasons for the abortions.
“House Bill 2749 is invasive and unnecessary. There is no valid medical reason to force a woman to disclose to the legislature if they have been a victim of abuse, rape, or incest prior to obtaining an abortion,” Kelly claimed. “There is also no valid reason to force a woman to disclose to the legislature why she is seeking an abortion.”
Additionally, Kelly vetoed HB 2436, which would have criminalized coercing someone to obtain an abortion. Kelly claimed the bill contained “overly broad language” which “risks criminalizing Kansans who are being confided in by their loved ones or simply sharing their expertise as a health care provider.”
“As we watch other states, nations, and organizations reverse course on these experimental procedures on children, Laura Kelly will most surely find herself on the wrong side of history with her reckless veto of this common-sense protection for Kansas minors. House #ksleg pic.twitter.com/I8DC6ZCwFj
— Dan Hawkins (@DanHawkinsKS) April 12, 2024
Kansas Republicans have vowed to override the governor’s veto of the transgender bill, the Washington Post reported.
“As we watch other states, nations, and organizations reverse course on these experimental procedures on children, Laura Kelly will most surely find herself on the wrong side of history with her reckless veto of this common-sense protection for Kansas minors,” said Kansas House Speaker Daniel Hawkins (R). “House Republicans stand ready to override her veto to protect vulnerable Kansas kids.”
Carrie Rahfaldt, a spokeswoman for Hawkins, told the Post she expects the Senate to revisit the bill after a veto session begins on April 29.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
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