Kelly vetoes eight bills, clashing with GOP on immigration, abortion and schools
The Democratic governor pushed back against Republican-backed initiatives she argued targeted vulnerable Kansans and undermined public education.
TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed eight bills Monday that were sent to her by the Republican-led Legislature, setting up potential override fights over immigration, abortion access and private school funding. The Legislature's veto session is scheduled for Thursday and Friday this week.
Among the most prominent vetoes was Senate Bill 254, which Kelly said unfairly targeted undocumented Kansans brought to the United States as children. Calling the measure "cruel," Kelly argued that punishing young people for their parents' decisions would harm the state's workforce and economy.
Kelly also vetoed House Bill 2468, a measure expanding private school tax credits, arguing lawmakers must prioritize special education funding over private school incentives. Kelly, who has cultivated a reputation as the "education governor," framed the veto as a defense of public school funding following years of budget cuts.
Two abortion-related measures, House Bill 2727 and House Bill 2729, also fell to Kelly's pen. She argued HB 2727 would intimidate health care providers and that HB 2729 would mandate distribution of medically unsupported information. "Kansans have made it clear that they want the government to stay out of women's private health care decisions," she wrote in her veto message.
Other vetoed legislation included House Bill 2603, which would have dictated local security fence policies; Senate Bill 30 and House Bill 2719, which Kelly characterized as attempts to micromanage state agencies; and Senate Bill 375, which she criticized as a product of "political games" that bypassed full House debate.
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