Kansas legislature overrides governor's vetoes on tax breaks for health sharing ministries and crisis pregnancy centers
Senate president celebrates override of Gov. Laura Kelly's veto by ringing bell outside House chamber
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature has overridden two vetoes by Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, enacting laws that provide income tax deductions for residents enrolled in nontraditional health care sharing ministries and extend protections to crisis pregnancy centers. The House voted 87-37 and the Senate followed 30-9, mostly along party lines, Friday to overturn her rejection of Senate Bill 368, which provides income tax deductions for residents enrolled in health care sharing ministries. The legislature also overrode Kelly's veto of a separate bill shielding crisis pregnancy centers from liability and expanding their access to state funding.
Following the House vote, Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, celebrated the overrides by ringing a bell outside the House chamber — a gesture that drew immediate frustration from Democratic lawmakers. Masterson argued the health sharing ministry legislation ensures tax fairness by treating ministry contributions similarly to traditional insurance premiums. He accused Kelly of deliberately trying to "drive up the cost of healthcare" for Kansans who rely on faith-based alternatives to cover unexpected medical expenses.
The crisis pregnancy center bill, also overridden Friday, extends legal protections to centers that provide alternatives to abortion and allows them to receive state grants. Supporters argued the measure levels the playing field for faith-based organizations offering counseling and material support to pregnant women. Critics, including Kelly and Democratic lawmakers, contended the legislation directs taxpayer money to centers that provide misleading or incomplete medical information to vulnerable patients.
When Kelly vetoed the health sharing ministry measure Thursday, she warned that health care sharing ministries are unregulated and can leave people with "huge medical bills." Citizen Journal reported March 27 that Kelly also expressed concern the bill limits the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's ability to investigate, penalize or revoke the licenses of health entities found to be operating outside established medical guidelines.
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