Kansas law protecting minors from trans ‘medicine’ becomes law after veto override

A Kansas bill that prohibits dangerous transgender medical care for youth became law Tuesday when both legislative chambers overrode the governor’s veto.

It was the second straight year Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the bill. Last year the state House fell just short of the two-thirds majority needed to override.

This year the measure was approved by five votes more than needed in both the Senate (31-9) and the House (85-34).

The Help Not Harm Act restricts the use of state funds to promote gender transitions for minors, prohibits healthcare providers from giving gender transition medical services to children and authorizes lawsuits against healthcare providers responsible for such treatments.

The law also creates penalties for healthcare providers who violate the statute and prohibits malpractice insurance from covering the costs of such penalties.  

Supporters of the law said its passage is an important step in defeating the harmful indoctrination of children using gender ideology. 

“Moms for Liberty-Johnson County, KS chapter applauds Kansas legislators for their commitment to the protection of Kansas minors with the proposal, passing an override of the Help Not Harm Act,” Erika Sheets, Moms for Liberty chapter chair, told The Lion. “It is a moral imperative to prohibit the irreversible sterilization and mutilation of minor children and teens. This is obvious common sense.” 

Last year, Kelly vetoed the bill claiming it “trampled on parental rights,” reported the Washington Post.  

But one GOP leader warned at the time that ultimately Kelly would find herself on the wrong side in the fight. 

“As we watch other states, nations and organizations reverse course on these experimental procedures on children, Laura Kelly will most surely find herself on the wrong side of history with her reckless veto of this common-sense protection for Kansas minors,” said House Speaker Dan Hawkins. 

Hawkins vowed that the largely Republican Legislature would subsequently override the veto.  

The GOP picked up a few more seats in the general election in November, giving the party a little more room to defeat a veto.  

The Kansas Reflector reported that Tuesday’s unscheduled vote caught the Democrats off guard, perhaps aiding the GOP.  

After the vote, Speaker Hawkins posted a photo of himself and state Senate President Ty Masterson signing the legislation into law. 

“Today, Kansas House Republicans successfully overrode Governor Kelly’s reckless veto of the Help Not Harm Act – voting overwhelmingly in favor of protecting Kansas kids from the irreversible harms of experimental gender transition surgeries and medicines,” said Hawkins, according to the Topeka Capitol-Journal. “Governor Kelly chose to side with the radical Left, but this override now ensures that the act will become law – bringing Kansas in line with multiple other states and nations that already protect vulnerable minors from the life-altering effects of medicalized gender transition interventions.” 

Masterson said the new law conforms to President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring gender healthcare on minors to stop nationwide, reported the Capitol-Journal, noting “Kansas is no longer a sanctuary state for the maiming and sterilization of minors.”  

Masterson called gender procedures on minors “barbaric” and praised the bravery of the victims and the whistleblowers who came forward to stop the procedures. 

Democrat House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard said that the party would challenge the law through the courts. 

“[S]o now the third branch will very likely have their opportunity to take a look at the constitutionality of this bill,” Woodward said, according to the Capitol-Journal. 

Meanwhile, advocates such as Sheets are promising to continue their fight against liberal indoctrination of children in public schools in wake of the victory.  

“From DEI to gender indoctrination to the Whole Child Community School model, radical ideologies imposed on children and our society are being exposed and rooted out,” Sheets told The Lion. “Our Kansas Legislative Committee members will continue to work with legislators to lead in this commonsense effort for Kansans.”