1. United States
2. Kan.
3. Letter

I urge you to vote against overriding Governor Kelly's expected veto of Senate Bill 244. This legislation, rushed through on January 28, 2025, using emergency procedures that bypassed normal public input, would impose severe penalties on transgender Kansans while creating significant legal and financial risks for our state. The bill mandates that individuals use bathrooms in government buildings matching their sex assigned at birth, with escalating penalties including a $1,000 fine for a second violation and misdemeanor charges for a third. Governing bodies that fail to enforce these rules face fines up to $125,000. Critically, the bathroom provisions lack a fiscal note, meaning we have no formal budget analysis of implementation costs for local governments and state entities. This creates financial uncertainty at a time when Kansas cannot afford unfunded mandates. Rep. Abi Boatman, who represents House District 86 in south Wichita, described the legislation as "devastating" and noted that it signals "open season" on transgender people through its combination of bathroom restrictions, driver's license bans, and enforcement bounties. Genesis Merriett, president of Spectrum at Wichita State University, warned that the bill would harm everyone, including cisgender people, by creating anxiety about whether they "look female enough" or "male enough" to use public restrooms. This opens the door to harassment and lawsuits against anyone who doesn't conform to someone else's perception of gender norms. The rushed legislative process used by Rep. Susan Humphries and House Majority Leader Chris Croft, including the "gut and go" procedure and emergency action to bypass the standard waiting period, denied Kansans the opportunity to provide input on legislation that fundamentally affects their daily lives. Good policy requires deliberation and public participation, not shortcuts. I ask you to respect Governor Kelly's judgment and vote against any veto override attempt. This bill creates more problems than it solves while targeting some of Kansas's most vulnerable residents.