Three bills dealing with separate issues have passed their respective chambers in the Kansas Legislature.
The Senate overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 180, which would establish the Women’s Bill of Rights, define male and female status as assigned at birth and use those definitions for government purposes like athletics, detention facilities, domestic violence or rape victim shelters, locker rooms and restrooms. 17th District Senator Jeff Longbine of Emporia voted yes. The final vote was 26-10.
The Senate also passed SB 233, which would legally ban state-licensed doctors from giving gender-affirming procedures to minors, including license revocation. Longbine voted yes. The final vote was 26-11.
House members, meanwhile, passed HB 2238, which revisits the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act designed to halt transgender women from participating in girls or women’s sports. 13th District Representative Duane Droge of Eureka and 76th District Representative Eric Smith of Burlington voted yes, while 60th District Representative Mark Schreiber voted no. The final vote was 82-40.
