Laura Kelly indicates she'd veto GOP bill to ban gender-affirming care for trans youths

The Kansas House has advanced a bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender youths, but it is unclear whether it will have a veto-proof majority.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly indicated she will veto Senate Bill 233 if the Republican-led Legislature passes the bill.

"You can look back in history and see how I've responded in the past, and I really haven't changed my position," Kelly told reporters on Friday.

Republicans did not have the votes last session to override Kelly's veto of Senate Bill 26, which targeted gender-affirming care. The Senate was one vote short, which meant the House never took up the override, but it was presumed to be 12 votes short based off previous voting history.

Lawmakers are trying again this year with SB 233. The Kansas House gave it initial approval on a voice vote on Tuesday. A final roll-call vote was expected Wednesday.

The bill would then goes to the Senate, which is anticipated to move quickly on the bill after having a previous informational hearing on it.

More: Kansas Republicans want to ban transgender youths from getting gender-affirming care

The bill is a gut-and-go using the contents of House Bill 2791, dubbed the "Forbidding Abusive Child Transitions Act," which was introduced by Rep. Ron Bryce, R-Coffeyville. Because the House used a gut-and-go of a Senate bill, the Senate can bypass a public committee hearing.

SB 233 would ban health care professionals from providing gender-affirming care, including surgery and puberty blockers, to children. If they did so anyway, their licenses would be revoked. They could also be sued, and they would be banned from having liability insurance to cover such lawsuits.

There would also be a ban on state money being used for such care and on state employees promoting it or social transitioning.

Bryce likened gender-affirming care to saying, "We must change reality to meet what's in the child's head."

He said "more and more children have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria" and acknowledged there is an elevated suicide rate, but alleged that gender-affirming care is not effective at reducing suicides and "do more harm than good."

According to PolitiFact, "most available research suggests that suicidal behavior is reduced when youth have access to gender-affirming care."

More: Gender-affirming care is life-saving, research says. Why is it so controversial?

Despite being the carrier of the bill, Bryce refused to answer questions from Rep. Heather Meyer, D-Overland Park, and Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park.

Meyer criticized the bill's definitions, or the lack thereof, and how it could be interpreted to ban social workers and teachers from using preferred pronouns or accepting clothing choices. Vaughn alleged that Bryce "knows this bill is unconstitutional."

"In one breath, my colleagues say we should have less government and that government should not impede on personal rights," said Rep. Nikki McDonald, D-Olathe. "But in the next breath, they work to micromanage personal medical decision-making, saying that the Legislature knows better than parents and doctors."

More: Kansas must deny gender marker changes on IDs after judge sides with Kobach over Kelly

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas Republicans advance ban on gender-affirming care, face veto