TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas’ Democratic governor on Friday vetoed proposed tax breaks for anti-abortion counseling facilities whereas permitting restrictions on school range initiatives authorised by the Republican-controlled Legislature to turn out to be legislation with out her signature.
Gov. Laura Kelly additionally vetoed a invoice with bipartisan help to extend the penalties for killing a legislation enforcement canine or horse, a transfer that the GOP chief who pushed it referred to as “political pettiness.” As well as, she rejected two elections measures fueled no less than partly by the affect of individuals selling baseless election conspiracies amongst Republicans.
Kelly’s motion on the invoice coping with range, fairness and inclusion initiatives stood out as a result of it broke together with her vetoes final yr of anti-DEI measure from the present state funds.
The brand new legislation, taking impact July 1, prohibits state universities, group schools and technical faculties from requiring potential college students or candidates for jobs or promotions to make statements on their views about range, fairness and inclusion packages. Kelly let it turn out to be legislation solely two days after the state’s increased training board adopted its personal, narrower ban on the identical practices.
“Whereas I’ve issues about this laws, I don’t imagine that the conduct focused on this laws happens in our universities,” Kelly mentioned in her message on the invoice, contradicting statements made by GOP legislators.
Legislators are scheduled to return Thursday from a spring break and wrap up their work for the yr in six days. High Republicans instantly pledged to attempt to override Friday’s vetoes.
Republicans in about two dozen states have sought to restrict DEI initiatives, arguing that they’re discriminatory and implement a liberal political orthodoxy. Alabama and Utah enacted new anti-DEI legal guidelines this yr, and a ban enacted in Texas final yr has led to greater than 100 job cuts on College of Texas campuses.
The brand new coverage from the Kansas Board of Regents applies solely to state universities and doesn’t specify any penalties, whereas the brand new legislation will permit a tremendous of as much as $10,000 for every violation.
Backers of DEI packages say they’re being misrepresented. The American Psychological Affiliation defines range, fairness and inclusion as a framework to information “honest therapy and full participation of all folks,” particularly these in minority teams.
“We have to transfer ahead and focus our efforts on making school extra inexpensive and offering college students from all backgrounds with the instruments they should succeed,” Kelly mentioned in her message on the invoice.
With the invoice serving to the state’s practically 60 anti-abortion facilities, Kelly’s veto was anticipated as a result of she is a robust supporter of abortion rights. She already has vetoed two different measures championed by abortion opponents this yr.
However GOP lawmakers in Kansas have had rising success in overriding Kelly’s actions. Republican leaders seem to have the two-thirds majorities mandatory in each chambers on abortion points and appeared shut on the DEI invoice.
The newest abortion measure would exempt anti-abortion facilities that present free companies to potential moms and new mother and father from paying the state’s 6.5% gross sales tax on what they purchase and provides donors to them revenue tax credit totaling as much as $10 million a yr.
Kelly mentioned in her veto message that it isn’t acceptable for the state to “divert taxpayer {dollars} to largely unregulated disaster being pregnant facilities.”
The invoice additionally contains provisions designed to financially assist mother and father who undertake or need to undertake kids.
“Governor Kelly has proven as soon as once more that her solely allegiance is to the profit-driven abortion business, and to not weak Kansas girls, kids, and households,” Jeanne Gawdun, a lobbyist for Kansans for Life, the state’s most influential anti-abortion group, mentioned in an announcement.
Abortion opponents in Kansas are blocked from pursuing the identical form of extreme restrictions or bans on abortion imposed in neighboring states, together with Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. A Kansas Supreme Courtroom resolution in 2019 declared that entry to abortion is a basic proper beneath the state structure, and a statewide vote in August 2022 decisively affirmed that place.
“This invoice goes towards the needs of Kansans,” Kelly mentioned in her veto message.
Kelly additionally has clashed repeatedly with Republicans on voting rights points.
One of many election payments she vetoed would cease giving voters an additional three days after Election Day to return mail ballots to election officers. Many Republicans mentioned they’re responding to constituents’ issues that accepting ballots after Election Day compromises the integrity of election outcomes — although they’re fueled by lies from ex-President Donald Trump.
The opposite elections invoice would prohibit state businesses and native officers from utilizing federal funds in administering elections or selling voting with out the Legislature’s categorical permission. Republicans see spending by the Biden administration as an try and improperly increase Democratic turnout.
However Kelly chided lawmakers for “specializing in issues that don’t exist.”
“I might urge the Legislature to concentrate on actual points impacting Kansans,” Kelly mentioned in her veto message on the second invoice.
The veto of the invoice on police canines was maybe Kelly’s most stunning motion. Elevated penalties have had bipartisan help throughout the U.S., and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis this week signed a measure this week.
The Kansas measure was impressed by the November dying of Bane, an 8-year-old Wichita police canine, who authorities say was strangled by a suspect in a home violence case. It will permit a first-time offender to be sentenced to as much as 5 years and fined as much as $10,000.
Kelly mentioned the difficulty wanted extra examine, saying the brand new penalties for killing a police canine can be out of line with different, extra extreme crimes, “with out justification.”
However Home Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican and the invoice’s largest champion, mentioned: “This veto is a slap within the face of all legislation enforcement.”
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