Two RINO Republicans in Kansas caused the proposed ban on child sexual mutilation to fail by switching their votes on Monday.
Despite gaining approval in the state Senate, supporters of the bill fell short of the required two-thirds majority in the Kansas House of Representatives needed to override Democratic governor Laura Kelly’s veto.
According to ABC News, the Kansas House voted 82-43 to overturn Governor Kelly’s veto, but they were two votes shy of reaching the necessary threshold.
The bill also aimed to prohibit state employees working with children from promoting social transitioning for kids struggling with their gender identities.
The Republican proponents argued that such a ban would safeguard vulnerable children from potentially harmful experimental healthcare practices that could result in long-term health complications.
The proposed legislation sought to outlaw surgeries, puberty blockers, and hormone treatments for minors.
The Senate successfully voted 27-13 earlier that morning to override Governor Kelly’s veto by the exact margin needed there.
The two Republicans, Representatives Jesse Borjon and Susan Concannon, justified their vote as a stance in favor of limited government intervention.
“We hear of bullying and ask authorities to make it stop,” Concannon said in a speech on the House floor. “We hear about mental health, about suicide, and ask why. We’re not listening to the impacted youth. Government involvement is not the answer.”
“I strongly support prohibiting gender reassignment surgery and limiting the use of hormone blockers,” added Borjon. “[But some parts of the bill] go too far in restricting mental and behavioral health care for children.”
Gov. Kelly, meanwhile, celebrated the state House’s vote to uphold her veto, describing it as a “win for parental rights.”
“I am glad that bipartisan members of the legislature have stood firm in saying that divisive bills like House Substitute for Senate Bill 233 have no place in Kansas,” she said in a statement. “The legislature’s decision to sustain my veto is a win for parental rights, Kansas families, and families looking to call our state home.”
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