Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has vetoed a Bill banning biological men from competing in girls’ and women’s sports in public schools. The veto now sets up a showdown with the Republican-dominated Kansas Legislature. Kelly says she rejected the Bill because it would harm the mental health of Kansas students. Republican lawmakers had argued athletes assigned male at birth have a biological advantage when they play on girls’ and women’s teams. The Legislature will now need to garner a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate to override Kelly’s veto. Kelly has twice vetoed similar bills and both times lawmakers failed to override her. If lawmakers are successful in overriding the Governor’s veto, Kansas would join 18 other states with similar laws, including Iowa, Oklahoma and Texas.
