H Sub for SB244 was vetoed by Governor Kelly on Friday, February 13th

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TOPEKA –  Statewide business owners and professionals have come together to urge lawmakers to sustain Governor Kelly’s veto of H Sub for SB244, citing misuse of legislative powers, intrusive government overreach, and prioritizing ideological politics over practical solutions that move Kansas forward. 

This is the fifth year that the Kansas legislature has wasted taxpayer dollars on poorly written legislation designed to make it impossible for transgender people to go about their daily lives like other people. Chambers of commerce and business leaders across Kansas have repeatedly expressed concern that discriminatory legislation jeopardizes the welcoming environment that underpins economic growth. Talent, particularly young professionals and highly skilled workers, increasingly chooses to live in communities that demonstrate inclusion and stability.  

The advancement of this year’s bill, H Sub for SB244, was driven by a series of subversive procedural maneuvers that intentionally bypassed meaningful public input and transparency. By utilizing “gut and go” tactics in committee to replace an unrelated bill’s contents with a substitute version and suspending regular rules to rush the legislation through both chambers, leadership silenced Kansas taxpayers. This erosion of democratic transparency culminated in the Senate’s motion to concur with House amendments rather than convening a conference committee, a final effort to subvert public dialogue and force through a divisive mandate without proper scrutiny. 

H Sub for HB244 directs state agencies to invalidate and reissue driver’s licenses and birth certificates to reflect an individual’s sex at birth, and would require that multiple-occupancy private spaces in government owned or leased public buildings be designated for individuals of only one sex, as narrowly defined in the bill. The bill would create a private cause of action, open-up local governments to liability, and levy egregious civil and criminal penalties up to $125,000 per day for so-called violations. Furthermore, H Sub for SB244 is poorly written. Its provisions are vague, internally inconsistent, legally questionable, and could expose businesses to unnecessary liability that partner with or operate within local governments. 

Our elected state legislators must trust Kansans to live their lives without unnecessary government intrusion. They must trust voters enough to allow robust debate and transparent process, rather than relying on political tactics to push through harmful legislation. And we, the taxpayers, must hold these lawmakers accountable or else we’ll be stuck holding the bill. 

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If you would like to speak with a signatory on this issue, please contact: Michael Poppa, [email protected] 913-649-3326, 816-678-6378