Masterson vows override efforts on Kansas Parents’ Bill of Rights, fairness

(The Sentinel) – Senate President Ty Masterson criticized Gov. Laura Kelly’s vetoes of the Parents’ Bill of Rights, Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, and a bill requiring able-bodied adults without dependents to enroll in an employment and training program to receive food assistance.

The Andover Republican says Kelly chose politics over families in rejecting the school transparency legislation:

“The Parents’ Bill of Rights is an essential tool to allow parents to access curriculum and information about what is being taught or provided in the classroom, ensuring they are able to challenge objectional material that has been appearing all too often in our schools. By choosing secrecy over transparency, the governor is indicating she believes parents are the enemy and that schools have a right to hide what they are teaching our children.”

Masterson charged the governor with overlooking the key word in the women’s sports issue:

“The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act is about just that – fairness. It simply sets guidelines that ensure the fair playing field continues for women that we have recognized for decades. It’s about protecting the woman who worked and trained all her life and should not have her hard work wiped out by being forced to compete on unlevel playing fields.“

Finally, the Senate president accused Kelly of  hampering the state’s economic recovery by vetoing the employment training bill, often referred to as “Workfare”:

“It is hard to comprehend that during a time in which Kansas is experiencing record unemployment, the governor would veto a bill aimed at getting able-bodied adults back into the workforce or on a pathway out of poverty, towards self-sufficiency and personal prosperity.”

“The Senate will hold override votes when we return in late April.”

Other hot-button issues foretelling Legislature-Governor confrontations when the House and Senate return next week include approval of the state budget, cutting the state sales tax on food, indexing standard deductions to inflation, open enrollment, K-12 building needs assessment enhancement, removing the state income tax on Social Security benefits, and property tax relief for businesses forced to close during the pandemic.