The #KSLeg Session Ends with a Major Win for Transgender Youth but More Attacks on Abortion Access

The Kansas Legislature adjourned Sine Die in the early hours this morning and officially concluded the regular 2024 session, though it's likely that the Governor will veto the rushed tax bill coming her way and call members back this summer for a special session.

On Monday, legislators took up veto override attempts on bills Mainstream has most closely followed related to abortions and transgender youth. While they were able to override the vetoes on anti-abortion bills and funding, we’re still celebrating the defeat of the anti-trans SB233 and the voting rights bills, as well as the passage of a good public education budget bill. 

Thank you to everyone who supported our work to stop these harmful bills this session! Mainstream is lucky to work with tireless partners and passionate advocates – and though we continue to see the rise of attacks against the separation of church and state in our legislature, we know that Kansans show up every time to stop extremists attacks against our religious freedoms and democracy. Thank you!

*As we wrap this legislative session we are asking for your support. If our weekly review emails have been helpful, or if you just value the work we’re doing in the statehouse, please let your friends know that they too can become Mainstream members or make a tax-deductible donation to our Civic Engagement Foundation. We’re a small team of advocates and could use your support to continue providing these kinds of updates, action alerts, and advocacy inside the statehouse. Thank you for supporting Mainstream!

LGBTQ+ Equality 

We did it! The House failed to override the Governor’s veto on SB233 – the omnibus attack bill legalizing discrimination, penalizing healthcare professiona​ls, and stripping Kansans' constitutional right to bodily autonomy. We’re grateful to all legislators, including those who voted against their party, who stood up for transgender youth and their families. Kansas continues to have strong advocates in the statehouse for LGBTQ+ equality, and we’ll need them as we expect continued attacks next year.

Make sure to reach out to legislators who voted Nay to override the Governor’s veto and ask them to continue to champion LGBTQ+ rights and protect transgender youth. If what we’re seeing nationally continues to come to Kansas, then we can expect further attacks on transgender Kansans next session, and we’ll need strong support from within the statehouse.

VETO OVERRIDE VOTE COUNT:

• Senate (needs 27 to override): Yea: 27 Nay: 13
• House (needs 84 to override): Yea: 82 Nay: 43

Reproductive Rights

We followed three anti-abortion bills and one budget line item this year. The Governor vetoed each one, but the Legislature quickly voted to override them. 

We know that Kansans voted to protect access to safe and legal abortions in 2022, but the majority of the legislature keeps forgetting. Mainstream opposes the breakdown of our religious freedoms when legislators invoke religious doctrine and beliefs to justify these attacks against abortion and use public dollars to fund often religious-based pregnancy centers. Contact your legislator to let them know where you stand on abortion rights and remind them that you are a voter.

Abortion Reporting: HB2749 - Requiring medical care facilities and providers to report the reasons for each abortion. You can read our testimony here. 

VETO OVERRIDE VOTE COUNT:

• Senate (needed 27 to override): Yea: 27 Nay: 10
• House (needed 84 to override): Yea: 84 Nay: 41

Abortion Coercion: HB2436 – Creating the crime of coercion to obtain an abortion and providing enhanced criminal penalties for offenses committed with the intent to coerce a woman to obtain an abortion. Mainstream did not submit testimony. 

VETO OVERRIDE VOTE COUNT:

• Senate (needed 27 to override): Yea: 28 Nay: 10
• House (needed 84 to override): Yea: 85 Nay: 40

Tax Credits for Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs): HB2465 – bundled bill that included SB498: Establishing a tax credit for contributions to eligible charitable organizations operating pregnancy centers or residential maternity facilities. Other items include an adoption tax credit and adoption savings account. Read our testimony on SB498 here. 

VETO OVERRIDE VOTE COUNT:

• Senate (needed 27 to override): Yea: 29 Nay: 7
• House (needed 84 to override):  Yea: 85 Nay: 40

Public Funding for Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs): SB28 – the budget bill – includes a line item of $2 million for the so-called Pregnancy Compassion Program (35(a)) from HB2789 which did not pass out of committee. Read our testimony on HB2789 here. 

LINE ITEM VETO OVERRIDE VOTE COUNT:

• Senate (needs 27 to override): Yea: 28 Nay: 11
• House (needs 84 to override): Yea: 86 Nay: 39

Fetal Personhood and Child Support: SB232 – contains HB2653: Providing for child support orders for unborn children from the date of conception. This bill passed the House before the April break and the Senate voted on it once they returned for veto session. It now heads to the Governor’s desk for signature or veto, and any possible veto override vote would have to be taken up during a special session. Read our testimony on HB2653 here.

VOTE COUNT:

• Senate: Yea: 25 Nay: 12
• House:  Yea: 82 Nay: 38

TAKE ACTION:

• SB232 was presented to the Governor on April 30 for a veto or signature. Contact the Governor’s office today and encourage her to veto SB232. If vetoed, the legislature would have to do a veto override vote during a special session.

Public Education

The K-12 education budget bill, SB387, went through multiple rounds before that April break without passing, but the conference committee presented a version that had overwhelming support when the legislature returned last week, passing both Chambers easily. It now sits with the Governor who is expected to sign it. At Mainstream, we’re excited that the passed budget doesn’t include any expansion of vouchers – keeping public tax dollars in public schools and away from private, often religious institutions with the option to discriminate against students. 

VOTE COUNT: 

• Senate: Yea: 35 Nay: 2
• House: Yea: 115 Nay: 2

NEXT STEPS: 

• The bill will be presented to the Governor for her signature or veto.

As always, thank you for supporting Mainstream and our collaborative work to make sure Kansans’ commonsense values are truly represented in the statehouse.