Including young kids likely to sink Kansas trans sports ban

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas appears unlikely to join other states this year in banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s school sports. That’s partly because conservative state lawmakers want the ban to apply to elementary school students. The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a proposed ban early Saturday with solid majorities in both chambers. But they don’t have the two-thirds majority needed to override an almost-certain veto from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. She rejected a similar bill last year. Enough GOP lawmakers in Kansas keep breaking with Republican colleagues that LGBTQ-rights advocates probably will prevail. Several dissident Republicans said having a ban apply as early as kindergarten is a problem.