Kansas governor vetoes bill banning transgender treatment to minors, abortion restrictions

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a bill Friday that would have banned transgender treatment for minors in the state, as well as two bills imposing abortion restrictions. 

Substitute Bill for Senate Bill 233 sought to outlaw transgender treatment for minors and allow for causes of action against healthcare providers who provided such treatment. The bill would also have restricted the use of state funds for transgender treatment. 

"This divisive legislation targets a small group of Kansans by placing government mandates on them and dictating to parents how to best raise and care for their children," Kelly, a Democrat, said in a statement released. "I do not believe that is a conservative value, and it’s certainly not a Kansas value."

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Kelly said the legislation "tramples parental rights," saying she does not want to stand "between a parent and a child who needed medical care of any kind." 

"And yet, that is exactly what this legislation does," Kelly said in the statement. 

Kelly also vetoed two separate bills that would have imposed additional abortion restrictions throughout the state. HB 2749 would have required the reporting of abortions performed in the state "at a medical care facility or by a healthcare provider," according to the bill text. The reasons behind the procedure would be required in the reporting as well. 

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"House Bill 2749 is invasive and unnecessary. There is no valid medical reason to force a woman to disclose to the legislature if they have been a victim of abuse, rape, or incest prior to obtaining an abortion," Kelly said in the statement released. "There is also no valid reason to force a woman to disclose to the legislature why she is seeking an abortion."

Additionally, Kelly vetoed HB 2436 that would have criminalized coercion to obtain an abortion. Kelly cited the "vague language in this bill" and its potential privacy intrusion concerns as reasons for ultimately vetoing the legislation. 

"This overly broad language risks criminalizing Kansans who are being confided in by their loved ones or simply sharing their expertise as a health care provider," Kelly said in the statement. 

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In 2022, Kansas residents voted against an amendment to the state's constitution that would have given lawmakers in the state the ability to regulate abortion. The vote came shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 landmark case Roe v. Wade in a decision that further split the nation on abortion. 

Just this past week, Arizona made headlines regarding the issue after the state Supreme Court issued a ruling reverting the state back to a 160-year-old, pre-statehood law that outlaws abortions in nearly all circumstances and criminalizes abortions.

The law, which was codified in 1913 after Arizona became a state, includes an exception in cases where the mother's life is at risk.

Fox News' Jamie Joseph and the Associated Press contributed to this report.