ABOVE: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, photo via Kelly’s Facebook page.
Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill two weeks ago that would have banned participation of trans youth athletes in high school and college in girls’ and women’s sports will stand.
Republican lawmakers were unable to muster the support needed to over turn the governor’s action, in a 26-14 vote Monday, leaving backers of the measure one short of the necessary two-thirds majority and blocking an attempt in the House, the Associated Press reported.
Kelly labeled the legislation, Kansas Senate Bill 55, “a devastating message” to families in Kansas, calling the measure regressive.
“This legislation sends a devastating message that Kansas is not welcoming to all children and their families, including those who are transgender — who are already at a higher risk of bullying, discrimination, and suicide,” Kelly wrote in her veto message to lawmakers.
In a statement released by the ACLU of Kansas, which supported Kelly’s veto of SB55, Nadine Johnson, ACLU Kansas Executive Director wrote:
“As we have said from the moment legislators introduced this mean-spirited and anti-business bill, it would have cost the state dearly in litigation, repelled potentially lucrative business dealings, and most important, bullied and harmed innocent Kansas children.
In the most multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-racial Kansas ever, our state should be focused on ways to boost participation in sports and other extracurricular activities for all youth, rather than squandering much of the legislative session targeting trans youngsters around the state.”
