Democrat Kansas Governor Vetoes GOP-Led Bathroom Bill

Democrat Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a Republican-led bill on Friday that mandates people use restrooms according to their biology rather than their self-proclaimed “gender identity.” 

Republican lawmakers, who dominate both the state House and Senate, are planning to try to override the veto, KCUR reported. 

“Instead of standing with the overwhelming majority of Kansans on this issue, the Governor chose to appease her most radical supporters at the cost of women and girls in our state,” Republican House Speaker Dan Hawkins said in a statement.

The bill passed with more than two-thirds support of the state House and Senate, “meaning supporters have a good chance of overriding Kelly’s veto and forcing the bill into law,” according to the report. 

“It just codifies social norms,” Republican state Rep. Bob Lewis said after the bill passed, before the veto. “When people go into bathrooms or locker rooms, there’s just an expectation that it’ll be single-sex.”

Kelly said in statement the bill is “poorly drafted” and could have implications beyond bathroom use.

“I believe the Legislature should stay out of the business of telling Kansans how to go to the bathroom and instead stay focused on how to make life more affordable for Kansans,” she said.

The bill would specifically require government buildings, which include public schools and universities, to separate bathrooms and locker rooms by biological sex. 

Those who violate the law would be fined or sued for $1,000 and could be criminally charged for repeatedly using facilities that do not match their biological reality.

“There are some exceptions. Children would be allowed in opposite-sex restrooms up to the age of eight, as long as a caregiver is with them. Coaches would be allowed in opposite-sex locker rooms as long as everyone is clothed,” according to the report. 

Another part of the bill would bar Kansas residents from changing the sex marker on their state-issued driver’s licenses and birth certificates, per the report.

In 2025, the state legislature was able to successfully override a veto from Kelly to pass a law banning sex change drugs for minors. The law is being challenged in state court.

Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.