Today, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed Senate Bill 55 and House Bills 2089 and 2039.
KNEA supports these vetoes and thanks Governor Kelly for her actions.
Specifically, Senate Bill 55 promotes discrimination against transgender girls by banning their participation in girl’s and women’s athletics from K-12 through post-secondary education. KNEA’s core values underscore the value of inclusion and equal opportunity. This bill cruelly marginalizes transgender girls at a time when society is rejecting the harm done to children when they are stigmatized. Additionally, passage of the bill threatens economic vitality in Kansas by creating an atmosphere in which our state will be unable to attract events such as those planned by the NCAA and FIFA. Further, this bill makes it more difficult for businesses to attract and recruit young professionals.
KNEA supports the constitutional authority of the duly elected Kansas State Board of Education. Both House Bills 2089 and 2039 would usurp the constitutional authority of the elected members of the state board of education as well as local boards of education which manage issues of curriculum, assessment, learning standards, and graduation requirements. Such decisions are best left in the hands of those charged with the general supervision of the state’s system of public education as spelled out in the Kansas constitution.
We urge the Kansas House and Senate to stand up for our students and our constitution and reject any motion to override the Governor’s vetoes of these three bills.
