TOPEKA (KSNT)— The Kansas Legislature has officially revived a bill defining biological sex in areas like restrooms and locker rooms. The bill now becomes law.
The House voted 84-40 to override the Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of Senate Bill 180 on Thursday. The Senate voted 28-12 to override the Governor’s veto of the bill Wednesday.
Senate Bill 180, creates the “Women’s Bill of Rights,” which has also been called the “bathroom bill” by opponents.
“What’s the rights of a woman?… For fifty years women have fought for rights… for the right to vote… for the right to drive…And now we’re being told today that women’s rights don’t matter,” said Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Republican from Wichita, who carried the bill in the House on Thursday. “Little girls should not have to be exposed to a man in the female bathroom.”
“Men should go to the men’s restroom and ladies should go to the ladies’ restroom,” said Rep. Chuck Smith, R-Pittsburg, who rose in support of the bill.
However, both sides have differing opinions on what the legislation would accomplish. Democrats rose in opposition to the bill.
“Are you all going to check the genitals of every trans child who walks into the restroom, or maybe just children in general, so you can figure out who’s a male and who’s a female biologically?,” said Rep. Heather Meyer, D-Overland Park.
“What it’s about is politicians getting in the way of parents, children and their medical providers,” said D.C. Hiegert, a legal fellow with the ACLU of Kansas in an interview with Kansas Capitol Bureau.
The bill initially passed with a veto-proof majority in the Senate, and it’s expected to gain the one-vote needed in the house to override the veto.
