Kansas Republicans Override Governor’s Veto of Anti-Trans Bill
Bill invalidates gender markers on IDs, restricts restroom access, and takes effect after GOP lawmakers overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto.
Republican lawmakers in Kansas have voted to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a sweeping anti-transgender bill.
The measure, approved by both chambers earlier this month, invalidates driver’s licenses and birth certificates that reflect a transgender person’s gender identity rather than their assigned sex at birth. It also bars people from using restrooms that do not align with that assigned sex and bans multi-stall unisex bathrooms.
While the original House bill focused on prohibiting gender markers that align with a person’s gender identity on identification documents, Republicans employed a procedural maneuver known as “gut and go” — inserting the House language into a previously approved Senate bill — to add the restroom restrictions.
Kelly vetoed the legislation, calling it overly broad, poorly drafted, and rife with unintended consequences. Critics argue the bill’s strict wording could prevent people from visiting opposite-sex loved ones in hospitals, nursing homes, and college dorms.
“If your grandfather is in a nursing home in a shared room, as a granddaughter, you would not be able to visit him. If your sister is living in a dorm at K-State, as a brother, you would not be able to visit her in her room,” Kelly said in a statement. “I believe the Legislature should stay out of the business of telling Kansans how to go to the bathroom and instead stay focused on how to make life more affordable for Kansans.”
The Republican-controlled House voted 87-37 to override the veto, followed by a 31-9 vote in the GOP-backed Senate.
“Kansas Democrats are for They/Them,” Senate President Ty Masterson (R-Andover) said in a statement, repeating a line of attack used by President Donald Trump against former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign. “I will continue to fight for you, and protect women and girls across our state.”
The law “obviously discriminates against transgender people in ways that make our lives exponentially more difficult and dangerous,” said State Rep. Abi Boatman (D), who is transgender.
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