March 18-22, 2024

Mainstream Messenger: #KSLeg Week 11

Kansans Health Care is on the Line

Kansans’ health care is on the line – whether through the refusal to expand Medicaid, government intrusion into parental rights for their transgender youth, or attempts to tear down safe and legal abortions. And while we’re finally seeing the long-promised hearings on expanding Medicaid– something that nearly 70% of Kansans support -– the majority party leadership keeps signaling that they won’t bring it for a floor vote. This week will see quick action on bills the legislature is hoping to advance before the April break. 

This week we're waiting for the conference committee on Sub for SB233 and following anti-abortion bills as they move through the House and Senate. We're also monitoring public education dollars with the K-12 budget and the latest voucher bill. All of these represent the majority party's goal to break down the separation of religion and government and impose certain religious beliefs upon all Kansans. Please take action now to help us stop this over reach of religion into our government.

• Sub SB233 - Enacting the so-called "forbidding abuse child transitions act." Mainstream opposes this bill that legalizes discrimination, penalizes health care professionals, and strips Kansans' constitutional right to bodily autonomy. SB233 crossed-over to the Senate after passing the House with a veto-proof majority. In a surprise procedural move, the Senate nonconcurred with the House "amendments" and instead requested a conference committee (joint committee) for further deliberation. Next, the House will appoint its conference members, the committee will meet to work the bill without further input from the public , and then it will be voted on again in both chambers.
  • TAKE ACTION: Email your legislators today using this from our partners at Loud Light to tell them to stop this dangerous bill. We don't know when this will move, so please email today.
• HB2749 - Requiring medical care facilities and providers to report the reasons for each abortion. Mainstream opposes this invasive bill that undermines access to safe and legal abortions. This bill will be heard on Tuesday in Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare after having passed out of the House on March 7. We submitted testimony when the bill was first heard in the House, and despite a few amendments, still feel that it is a gross violation of a patient’s privacy for the sake of data collection to support anti-abortion organizations like bill sponsor Kansans for Life. H
  • TAKE ACTION: Email members of the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare using this form from Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes. They're especially looking for folks living in the districts of committee members before the hearing tomorrow morning.
• SB509 - Establishing the education opportunity tax credit. Mainstream opposes this latest voucher bill. It was amended and passed out of committee last Tuesday, though it hasn’t hit the Senate floor yet (but could any day) Contact your Senator now and let them know you oppose the diversion of public dollars to private, often religious, schools. You can find our testimony here. 

Visit Mainstream's new #KSLeg Action dashboard to find your legislators and see where we are with the active bills we're following. 

We'll continue to monitor proposals that could impact public education funding, reproductive health care, and LGBTQ+ equality this week, and we'll let you know when your legislator needs to hear from YOU to stop dangerous bills.