By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Kansas Republican state lawmakers have flexed their muscles this legislative session during clashes with Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat.
State Sen. Craig Bowser of Holton, a freshman Republican in the Kansas Senate, says that never came more into focus than the battle over banning gender transition surgeries and medication for minors.
“Basically, that protected children from transgender mutilation,” Bowser tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “Basically, anyone under the age of 18 could not receive those surgeries or those drugs.”
The effort by the Kansas legislature had been blocked by Kelly’s vetoes in the past.
“This year we have the votes necessary,” Bowser says. “We did override her veto and so we are now able to protect our children from these transgender reassignment surgeries here in the state.”
Kansas Republicans couldn’t muster the votes necessary the past two years to enact the law over the objections of Kelly. Her vetoes stood. Bowser says this year Republicans have benefitted from larger majorities in both chambers in Topeka.
State Rep. Allen Reavis, a Republican from Holton, acknowledges Republicans had been frustrated by vetoes from the Democratic governor over legislation.
Reavis says a big test for Republicans came early in this legislative session, when they tested their new majorities by passing the same legislation banning gender transition medication.
“And both houses passed it and she vetoed it and both houses overrode it,” Reavis points out. “That’s a good example. There are some tight issues that before could be teeter tottered by one or two voters and now we have that power to get things done.”
Reavis says Republicans’ super majority status overcame two years of struggle against the governor’s objections.
“But with that comes a lot of responsibility not to overplay the cards and give everybody a chance to be heard,” according to Reavis.
In the Kansas House, Republican outnumber Democrats 88-to-37.
In the Senate, Republicans hold a 31-to-9 majority.
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