The Emporia League of Women Voters Vote Tracking Committee tracks bills and votes on the following topics: abortion, children, civil rights, climate change, education, government, gun legislation, health issues, LGBTQ issues, Medicaid expansion, school issues, taxes, voting rights, and water issues.
Last week, the following bills in these categories were voted on and passed; local legislators’ votes are indicated. Votes to override the Governor’s veto require 2/3 Yea votes in both houses—84 votes in the House of Representatives and 27 in the Senate.
Abortion
*Consideration of veto of HB 2313, creating the Born-alive Infants Protection Act to provide legal protections for infants who are born alive regardless of the intent of the delivery. House vote: Yeas 87; Nays 37. The motion to overturn the veto did prevail. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea. Senate vote: Yeas 31; Nays 9. A two-thirds majority overriding
the Governor’s veto. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
*Consideration of the veto on HB 2325, to add facilities where elective abortions are performed to the list of entities that are not health care providers, which would make such facilities ineligible to purchase professional liability insurance from the Health Care Stabilization Fund. House vote: Yeas 84; Nays 40. The motion to overturn the veto did prevail. Rep. Droge,
E. Smith voted Yea; Schreiber voted Nay. Senate vote: Yeas 25; Nays 15. The veto was sustained. Sen. Longbine voted Nay.
*Consideration of veto on HB 2264, requiring certain notifications that a medication abortion may be reversed; excluding certain procedures from the definition of abortion. Senate Vote: Yeas 29; Nays 11; a two-thirds majority overriding the Governor’s veto. Sen Longbine voted Yea. House Vote: Yeas 84; Nays 40. The motion to overturn the veto did prevail. Rep.
Droge, E. Smith voted Yea; Schreiber voted Nay.
Children
*Vote to adopt the Conference Committee Report on HB 2021, allowing evidence-based program account money to be used on certain programs and requiring agencies to collaborate when providing services to juvenile offenders and children in need of care. Senate vote: Yeas 22; Nays 16. Sen. Longbine voted Yea. House vote: Yeas 119; Nays 1; Rep. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea.
Civil Rights
*Consideration of veto on HB 2350, creating the crimes of human smuggling and aggravated human smuggling and providing criminal penalties. Vote: Yeas 85; Nays 39. The motion to overturn the veto did prevail. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea. Consideration of veto of SB 228, removing the requirement that every county shall have a jail; modernizing requirements related to food, drink and medical care for prisoners and jail records. Senate vote: Yeas 31; Nays 9; A two-thirds constitutional majority, overriding the Governor’s veto. Sen. Longbine voted Yea. House vote: Yeas 87; Nays 37. The motion to overturn the veto did prevail. Rep. Droge, Schreiber’s E. Smith voted Yea. The House concurred in Senate amendments to S Sub for HB 2010, updating a statutory cross reference to provide proper jury instruction in cases when a defendant lacks the required mental state to commit a crime, and other special circumstances. Vote: Yeas 120; Nays 0; Rep.
Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea.
Education
*The conference committee report on H Sub for SB 113 was adopted. Making appropriations for the Department of Education for FY 23, FY 24 and FY 25. House vote: Yeas 83; Nays 37; Rep. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea. Senate vote: Yeas 23; Nays 16; Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
Government
*Consideration of veto on HB 2094, requiring work registrants aged 50 through 59 to complete an employment and training program to receive food assistance. Senate vote: Yeas 28; Nays 12. The governor’s veto was overridden. Sen. Longbine voted Yea. House vote: Yeas 84; Nays 40. The motion to overturn the veto did prevail. Rep. Droge, E. Smith voted Yea; Schreiber voted Nay. The conference committee report on HB 2002 was adopted. Extending reimbursement from the taxpayer notification costs fund for printing and postage costs for county clerks for 2024. Vote: Yeas 122; Nays 0. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea.
Guns
*Consideration of veto on HB 2304, standardizing firearm safety education training programs in school districts. Vote: Yeas 83; Nays 41. The veto was sustained. Rep. Droge, E. Smith voted Yea; Schreiber voted Nay.
Health Care
*Vote to adopt the conference committee report on SB 174, increasing the criminal penalties for battery of a healthcare provider, increasing the criminal penalties for manufacturing fentanyl. House vote: Yeas 113; Nays 9. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea. Senate vote: Yeas 31; Nays 7. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
*Vote to adopt the conference committee report on Sub SB 131 would permit the issuance of a sports waiver for certain health care professionals and add pharmacy technicians to the list of those authorized to administer vaccinations. House vote: Yeas 118; Nays 4. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea. Senate vote: Yeas 38; Nays 2; Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
Higher Education
*The conference committee report on S Sub for HB 2060 was adopted. Authorizing payments from the state safety fund to community colleges for the provision of driver’s education and make various technical changes to statutes. Vote: Yeas 83; Nays 39. Rep. Droge, Schreiber, E. Smith voted Yea.
LGBTQ
*Consideration of veto of SB 180, establishing the Women’s Bill of Rights; providing a meaning of biological sex for purposes of statutory construction. Senate vote: Yeas 28; Nays 12; overriding the Governor’s veto. Sen. Longbine voted Yea. House vote: Yeas 84; Nays 40, overriding the Governor’s veto. Rep. Droge, E. Smith voted Yea; Schreiber voted Nay.
*Consideration of veto of SB 26, creating a civil cause of action against a physician who performs childhood gender reassignment service, requiring revocation of a physician’s license. Vote: Yeas 26; Nays 14. The veto was sustained. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
School Issues
*Consideration of veto on S Sub HB 2138, requiring separate overnight accommodations for students of each biological sex during school district sponsored travel. Vote: Yeas 30; Nays 9; a two-thirds majority overriding the Governor’s veto. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
Taxes
*Consideration of veto on H Sub SB 169, providing a 5.15% flat income tax rate for individuals and decreasing the normal tax for corporations; reducing the rate of tax on sales of food and food ingredients. Apr. 26 vote: Yeas 26; Nays 14. The veto was sustained. Sen. Longbine voted Yea. Apr. 27 vote: Yeas 25; Nays 14; Sen. Longbine voted Yea. Having failed to
reach a 2/3 majority, the veto was sustained.
*The Conference Committee Report on SB 8 was adopted. Reducing penalties for the late filing of and the failure to file personal property renditions and the discovery of escaped personal property. Vote: Yeas 26; Nays 13; Sen. Longbine voted Nay.
Voting Rights
*Consideration of veto on SB 209, requiring the return of advance mail ballots by 7 p.m. on the day of the election. Vote: Yeas 25; Nays 15. The veto was sustained. Sen. Longbine voted Yea.
Adjournment: The Kansas Legislature is adjourned until January 8, 2024.
Prepared by Emporia League of Women Voters members Bob Grover, Doug McGaw, and Mary McGaw.
