Kansas lawmakers override Democrat governor's veto of trans bathroom: 'Prioritizes privacy, safety over ideology'
Quick Summary
- Kansas lawmakers override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto on a bill prohibiting men from accessing women's restrooms.
- The Kansas Senate voted 31-9, and the House voted 87-37 to pass the override.
- Supporters say the bill prioritizes privacy and safety for women and girls.
Kansas lawmakers have overridden a veto from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on a bill that prohibits men who identify as women from accessing restrooms and locker rooms designated for women and girls.
Senate Bill 244 was vetoed by the governor last week. However, the Kansas Senate voted 31-9 to override the veto on Tuesday, while the Kansas House voted 87-37 on Wednesday to do the same.
“The governing body, or chief administrative officer if no governing body exists, of each public building shall designate each multiple-occupancy private space in such building for use only by individuals of one sex,” stated SB 244.
It adds that authorities "shall take every reasonable step to ensure an individual does not enter a multiple-occupancy private space that is designated for use only by individuals of the opposite sex.”
The bill included several exemptions, such as custodial services, maintenance crews, providing medical aid, law enforcement matters, children younger than 9 being accompanied by a caregiver, and other circumstances.
Organizations like the religious freedom legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom celebrated the veto override as a victory for women's and girls' privacy rights.
“Women and girls shouldn’t be forced to sacrifice their privacy and safety in the name of promoting gender ideology,” said ADF legal counsel Sara Beth Nolan in a statement.
“Allowing men to invade women’s most intimate spaces — including changing rooms and restrooms — compromises their dignity. SB 244 ensures that the private spaces of women and girls in government buildings are not open to men. It rightly prioritizes privacy and safety over ideology.”
Progressive organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas denounced the bill as discriminatory in nature and a violation of privacy for trans-identified individuals.
“This discriminatory bill undermines our state’s strong constitutional protections against government overreach and persecution. It subjects people to unacceptable privacy violations and puts them in harm’s way,” said ACLU of Kansas Executive Director Micah Kubic in a statement.
SB 244, introduced and passed in January, was vetoed by Kelly last Friday. In her veto statement, Kelly claimed that it had “numerous and significant consequences far beyond the intent to limit the right for trans people to use the appropriate bathroom.”
“I believe the Legislature should stay out of the business of telling Kansans how to go to the bathroom and instead stay focused on how to make life more affordable for Kansans,” she added.
