Loud Light Kansas Politics Recap: anti-abortion laws, anti-trans bills, voter restrictions, and water conservation

The Pitch has partnered with a local political awareness organization called Loud Light. Their goal is to engage and empower individuals from underrepresented populations to build community power. And impact decision-makers. Each week of the year that the Kansas statehouse is in session, they release a short video recapping what the legislature is up to.

Knowing the nitty-gritty of what’s happening with your representatives is the only way to stay involved with the way local government affects your life. You can donate to support Loud Light’s work by clicking here.

Here is this week’s video and transcription:

Hey I’m Davis Hammet with Loud Light! Before going on April break, Week 13 ended with the legislature staying up until 4 a.m. passing—and sometimes failing to pass—controversial bills throughout the long night. They didn’t pass a school budget. Now legislators are returning to respond to bills the Governor vetoed and to finish up for the year.

Water (S Sub for HB2302)
Kansas is confronting an ongoing drought and much of the state is the driest it’s been since the dust bowl a century ago. A partnership between 68-year-old Republican Rep. Jim Minnix and 28-year-old Democratic Rep. Lindsay Vaughn led to a bill making a $35 million per year investment into Kansas water storage and conservation projects. The historic bill aimed at protecting the state’s water supply received near-unanimous bipartisan support and was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

Anti-trans Bills (HB2238, SB180 & HB2138, & SB228 & SB 26)
Republican Legislators overrode Gov. Kelly’s veto to force a new bill into law that aims to ban transgender girls from sports beginning in elementary school. It involves a unique legislator-crafted definition of biological sex that raises concerns over how it will be enforced. Along mostly party lines four additional bills designed to discriminate against transgender Kansans passed involving school field trips, jail cells, blocking medical access for children, and erasing the government from recognizing that transgender people exist. The bills are part of a wave of roughly half a thousand bills attacking transgender Americans and raise significant legal and human rights questions. Gov. Kelly vetoed all of the bills, but override attempts are expected soon.

3 Day Grace Period (SB209)
In 2017, virtually every legislator voted for a 3-day grace period for postmarked ballots sent on or before election day to be received by the election office and counted. It was in response to slowing mail delivery, but Republican legislators passed a bill to abolish the grace period which would throw out thousands of voters’ ballots every election. Gov. Kelly vetoed the bill, but legislators may or may not try to override the veto given that many Republicans are split on the issue.

Flat-Tax (SB169)
A mega tax cut bill that would cost the state roughly half a billion dollars per year and predominantly benefit the wealthiest Kansans and corporations was vetoed by Gov. Kelly. As an alternative, the Governor has recommended more modest tax cuts and sending every taxpayer a one-time $450 rebate to return part of the state’s record surplus to Kansans without destabilizing the state’s long-term financial projections.

Abortion (HB 2264, HB 2313, & line-item, pg.4)
Two anti-abortion bills including one that would force doctors to provide unscientific information to women seeking an abortion were vetoed by Gov. Kelly. Additionally, Gov. Kelly line-item vetoed a provision in the budget that would have the State Treasurer give millions of tax dollars to unregulated anti-abortion pregnancy centers. The anti-abortion workarounds come as legislators seek creative ways to defy the Kansas Constitution’s protections from legislators interfering with reproductive medical decisions. Veto override attempts are expected for all three policies.

Golden Fork Award
For the 5th year in a row, Republican Sen. Ty Masterson has won the golden fork award for the legislator that lobbyists spent the most money wining and dining.

Coming Up
We are heading into what may be the last week of the 2023 legislative session, but the legislature still has plenty of work to do namely passing a school funding bill that can be signed into law. Thanks for liking, commenting, and sharing. Your donations make this possible. Stay tuned, stay engaged, and until next time, thank you so much Kansas!