Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a
Democrat, has for the second year in a row vetoed a bill that sought
to prohibit transgender girls from competing on sports teams
consistent with their gender identity.
In her veto letter, Kelly said that
Senate Bill 160 was an attempt to “score political points” and
was “bad for business.”
“We all want a fair and safe place
for our kids to play and compete,” she wrote. “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.”
“It would send a signal to
prospective companies that Kansas is more focused on unnecessary and
divisive legislation than strategic, pro-growth lawmaking,” she
said.
The legislation sought to bar
transgender girls and women in public schools and state colleges and
universities from competing on sports teams. It would not have
affected transgender male athletes.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the
nation's largest LGBTQ rights advocate, thanked Kelly for her veto.
“Gov. Kelly heard the voices of
transgender kids and their families, medical experts, the business
community, and advocates for fairness in sports, all of whom oppose
discriminatory legislation like SB 160,” said HRC State Legislative
Director and Senior Counsel Cathryn Oakley. “Yet again, she’s
stood up for the humanity of the transgender youth impacted by this
legislation, as she did when she vetoed vetoing similar legislation
last year – something governors in states like Arizona, Iowa,
Oklahoma, and South Dakota have refused to do.”
“Kansans deserve better than
legislators who are seeking to bully transgender youth with divisive
and polarizing bills for the sake of discrimination itself. They’ve
shown no shame as they tried to add anti-trans language into a bill
related to fisheries and wildlife. Thank you Gov. Kelly for
protecting transgender youth and vetoing this harmful legislation. We
strongly urge the Kansas legislature to sustain her veto,” Oakley
said.
While Republicans control the House and
Senate, the legislation passed without a veto-proof majority.