Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s (D) veto of a ban on transgender athletes has been upheld.
The state House of Representatives voted Thursday to uphold Kelly’s veto of the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” that would require sports teams from the elementary level to university to be designated by “biological sex.”
The bill states, “Any student who is deprived of an athletic opportunity or suffers any direct or indirect harm as a result of a violation of section 2, and amendments thereto, shall have a private cause of action for injunctive relief, damages and any other relief available under law against the school or postsecondary educational institution.”
Kansas state Rep. Brandon Woodard (D) tweeted, “Compassion wins today.”
Compassion wins today. #ksleg
— Brandon Woodard (@Woodard4Kansas) April 28, 2022
Kelly previously wrote in a veto message, “We all want a fair and safe place for our kids to play and compete,” as The Hill reported.
She continued, “However, this bill didn’t come from the experts at our schools, our athletes, or the Kansas State High School Activities Association. It came from politicians trying to score political points.”
Earlier this week, the state Senate voted to override Kelly’s veto but the House was unable to get the votes necessary to do the same.
Senate President Ty Masterson said he was “very proud of our chamber,” adding, “I was very pleased. Quite frankly until the vote was cast I wasn’t sure how it was going to land.”
Human Rights Campaign State Legislative Director and Senior Counsel Cathryn Oakley issued a statement responding to the vote.
“We sincerely thank Gov. Kelly for rejecting this discriminatory legislation and allowing transgender kids to be who they are – kids. We also want to thank the 81 legislators who heard the voices of transgender kids and their families, medical experts, the business community, and advocates for fairness in sports – and voted to sustain the governor’s veto,” Oakley said.
She continued, “This harmful legislation has no place in Kansas or any other state. Kansans deserve better than legislators who bully transgender youth – youth who pose no threat and just want to play sports with their friends.”
The Kansas House has upheld Gov. Kelly's veto of an anti-transgender sports ban – effectively killing this legislation.
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) April 28, 2022
Thank you to the legislators and advocates who worked to defeat this bill. We'll keep fighting to protect trans kids nationwide. https://t.co/O31QCY4KUF
Additionally, the lawmakers upheld Kelly’s veto on another bill that would have given parents more power to look over and challenge curriculum that does not line up with their “firmly held beliefs, values or principles.”
