School choice win: Kansas becomes 29th state to participate in Trump’s tax credit program

Kansas became the 29th state to opt in to President Donald Trump’s school choice program after overriding the Democrat governor’s veto last week.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed joining the Education Freedom Tax Credit last week, and a veto override initially seemed unlikely as the House originally had only 76 of the required 84 votes for a supermajority. However, the Legislature successfully overrode the veto with supermajority votes of 85-38 in the House and 29-10 in the Senate. 

“This might have been her most absurd veto yet, as it directly hurts Kansas kids who need better opportunities to succeed,” Senate President Ty Masterson wrote on X. “I’m glad we were able to restore sanity and provide Kansas families more options for their children’s educational success.”

Trump’s program, which Kansas will join next year, allows federal tax credits to fund scholarships, expanding education freedom and school choice options for parents. The scholarships can be used for private school tuition, private tutoring and other educational services, including for families that could not otherwise afford them.

“It is the policy of my administration to support parents in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children,” Trump said in a statement.

A veto session was held at the end of last week in which the Legislature reversed nearly 20 of Kelly’s vetoes, including the KIRK Act, Women’s Privacy Act and the Religious Freedom Act.

Kansas Family Voice celebrated the end of the 2026 legislative session as “successful” on social media.

“Thank you to every legislator who stood boldly for the values that matter most: life, family, the First Amendment and the protection of religious freedom here in Kansas,” the organization wrote.

“Together, we are working to build a state where God is honored, life is cherished, and families are able to flourish.”