Lawmakers overrule governor on several issues kake.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kake.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
John Hanna May 03, 2021 - 11:23 AM
TOPEKA, Kan. - Conservative Republican legislators in Kansas failed Monday to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly s veto of a proposed ban on transgender athletes in girls and women s school sports.
The Senate s vote to override Kelly was 26-14, leaving backers of the measure one short of the necessary two-thirds majority and blocking an attempt in the House. The outcome was in doubt until the only Democrat to waver on voting against the override, Sen. David Haley, of Kansas City, cast his no vote.
More than 20 states have considered such proposals this year, as Republican lawmakers have pressed the issue. Idaho enacted such a law last year, and bans were enacted this year in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and West Virginia. Florida lawmakers passed a bill, and South Dakota s governor issued an executive order.
Lawmakers have vowed to continue the push for legislation banning transgender athletes from girls and women s sports, even though members were unable to garner enough votes to overturn a veto from Gov. Laura Kelly Monday.
The bill, part of an effort sweeping conservative statehouses across the country, was rejected by Kelly last month.
She echoed concerns from LGBT activists that it would harm the mental health of transgender youths, saying it sends a devastating message and threatened the state s economic standing.
In a tense vote Monday, the Kansas Senate nearly garnered enough votes to move forward with overturning the veto. Members ultimately fell one vote shy of the 27-member threshold needed to override, with three Republican members opting to oppose the legislation.
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