On April 15, Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a bill that would have banned transgender athletes from girls' sports and another that would have required schools to let parents challenge classroom curriculum a measure she has called a "teacher demoralization act," The Kansas City Star reported.
The bills reflect the political trap the GOP-controlled legislature has been trying to set for Kelly, a first-term governor up for re-election in November.
In veto messages, the governor said the transgender athlete ban would harm Kansas's ability to attract and retain businesses, sending a signal to companies that the state "is more focused on unnecessary and divisive legislation than strategic, pro-growth lawmaking."
According to Newsweek, more than a dozen states have enacted similar bans that proponents say keep the playing field level in school sports.
Similarly, Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear recently vetoed a bill that would mandate student athletes to participate in sports based on the sex written on their birth certificate, per NPR. Senate Bill 83, known as the "Fairness in Women's Sports Act," passed the state Senate 26-9 and was sent to Beshear on March 25. However, the state legislature overrode his veto, meaning SB 83 is now law.
The Kentucky Senate also overrode the veto of Senate Bill 1, which deals with superintendents making certain education-related decisions over school boards and councils.