Kansas lawmakers' attempt to bypass the governor's veto on banning gender-affirming care falls through.
Kelly, who had rejected SB 233 earlier this month, expressed her happiness over the state House's decision to uphold her veto.
"I'm glad that both Republicans and Democrats in the legislature have stood together in saying that controversial bills like this one shouldn't be part of Kansas. The legislature's choice to support my veto is a win for parents' rights, Kansas families, and those considering making Kansas their home," she said in a statement on Monday night.
The Republican-dominated Senate voted 27-13 on Monday to overturn Kelly's veto. However, the Republican state House failed to gather the necessary two-thirds majority for enacting the ban with their vote of 82-43.
CNN reached out to state House Speaker Dan Hawkins and state Senate President Ty Masterson for comments.
If passed, the measure would've prohibited gender-affirming care for trans and non-binary youth in Kansas, including hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and surgeries (though surgeries are rarely carried out on children).
Minors receiving hormone blockers and/or estrogen or testosterone would've been allowed to keep their treatment until December 31, 2024, if their doctor prepared a plan to wean them off the treatment and could show that stopping the treatment immediately would put their lives at risk.
The bill would've allowed legal action against doctors who provided gender-affirming care to minors, suspending their licenses if they did so without liability insurance to cover any damages incurred.
It would've also restricted the usage of public funds like Medicaid for gender-affirming treatments, while state employees would've been forbidden from using the preferred pronouns of minor patients if they didn't align with their sex at birth.
"We're thrilled and relieved by the outcome of blocking SB233. This session has shown amazing strength, resilience, and unity among the transgender community in Kansas and their supporters,” said Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, in a statement.
Last year, a vote to override a veto of a similar Kansas bill faltered before reaching the state House. However, the Republican-controlled Legislature used its supermajority to overrule the governor's veto to pass an anti-trans sports ban, restricting trans women and girls from competing in sports teams that match their gender between kindergarten and college.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
