A proposed ban on child sexual mutilation in Kansas failed on Monday when two RINO Republicans switched their votes.
Having passed the state Senate, supporters of the bill needed a two-thirds majority in the Kansas House of Representatives in order to override the veto of Democratic governor Laura Kelly.
ABC News reports:
The Kansas House voted 82-43 to overturn Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill that also would have barred state employees who work with children from promoting social transitioning for kids who question or struggle with their gender identities. But supporters were two votes short of the necessary two-thirds majority.
Republicans who backed the bill argued that a ban would protect vulnerable children from what they described as experimental health care that could create long-term health issues. It would not only have banned surgeries for minors but also puberty blockers and hormone treatments. The Senate voted Monday morning 27-13 to override Kelly’s veto, the exact margin supporters needed there.
The two Republicans responsible were Reps. Jesse Borjon and Susan Concannon, who tried to frame their vote as support for limited government.
“We hear of bullying and ask authorities to make it stop,” Concannon said in a speech on the House floor. “We hear about mental health, about suicide, and ask why. We’re not listening to the impacted youth. Government involvement is not the answer.”
“I strongly support prohibiting gender reassignment surgery and limiting the use of hormone blockers,” added Borjon. “[But some parts of the bill] go too far in restricting mental and behavioral health care for children.”
Could not be more disappointed in the Kansas Legislature today. The vote to outlaw gender affirming care for minors failed by one vote today. @GAG_Kansas @GAG_Missouri and I will continue to fight to protect the children of Kansas.
We are just getting started. pic.twitter.com/4b5js406K7— Nathan (@homonatian) April 30, 2024
Gov. Kelly, meanwhile, celebrated the state House’s vote to uphold her veto, describing it as a “win for parental rights.”
“I am glad that bipartisan members of the legislature have stood firm in saying that divisive bills like House Substitute for Senate Bill 233 have no place in Kansas,” she said in a statement. “The legislature’s decision to sustain my veto is a win for parental rights, Kansas families, and families looking to call our state home.”