On Feb. 11, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed Senate Bill 63 which prohibited medical, hormonal or surgical treatment of minors for gender dysphoria. It provided for damage actions against doctors who violated the prohibitions and barred insurance policies from covering liability for such damages. State employees whose duties include care of children may not promote social transitioning. In her veto message (full text), Governor Kelly said in part:
Infringing on parental rights is not appropriate, nor is it a Kansas value. As I’ve said before, it is not the job of politicians to stand between a parent and a child who needs medical care of any kind. This legislation will also drive families, businesses, and health care workers out of our state, stifling our economy and exacerbating our workforce shortage issue.
Reporting on these developments, Kansas Reflector said in part:
Kelly, a Democrat, vetoed a similar bill last year, and Republicans failed to coordinate the necessary two-thirds majority to override the veto. House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said in a statement Tuesday that House Republicans were ready to override this year’s veto.
