TOPEKA, Kan. — (AP) — Republican proposals pushing back on transgender rights advanced Thursday in the GOP-controlled Kansas Legislature.
The measure most likely to ultimately become law this year would ban transgender athletes from girls and women’s K-12, club and college sports.
The House approved it, 82-40, sending it to the Senate. The two Republicans absent Thursday likely would have voted yes to give supporters the two-thirds majority of 84 votes needed to override a veto from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. She vetoed two previous proposals.
The Senate voted 26-11 to pass a bill aimed at preventing doctors from providing gender-affirming care to minors. The bill says the state medical board must revoke the Kansas licenses of doctors who are found to have provided such care. Also, they could be sued by former patients.
Senators also voted 26-10 to approve a bill that would define a person legally as male or female based on their anatomy at birth.
The measure would prevent transgender men and women from changing their birth certificates and driver’s licenses after transitioning, and it could force them to use restrooms and other facilities associated with the gender assigned to them at birth.
Both Senate bills went to the House, and both were a single vote short of having a two-thirds majority.
