Overriding a veto from Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, the Kansas Legislature voted to safeguard adoptive and foster families who do not adhere to gender ideology.
House Bill 2311, known as the Adoption Conscience Act, prohibits the Kansas Department for Children and Families from approving, implementing or enforcing policies that require a person “to affirm, accept or support any governmental policy regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that may conflict with the person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.”
The bill also prohibits the department from considering a candidate’s religious or moral beliefs in determining adoption or custodian cases. Further, the measure grants a prospective parent or guardian the right to sue if such person believes their rights were violated.
The bill originally passed in the state Senate with a 31-9 vote and in the House, 84-38, but Kelly vetoed the bill on Monday. In her press release, she called HB 2311 a measure that detracts from the “best interest of the child” standard and stated that it “stands in the way of best serving those in the child welfare system.”
“I also have concerns that this bill could expose the state to frivolous lawsuits,” Kelly said, “and hinder the agency by taking time and resources away from critical services.”
However, on Thursday, the Kansas House and Senate overrode the veto by wide margins. A two-thirds supermajority is required for a veto to be overridden. The law takes immediate effect.
Greg Chafuen, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a legal Christian advocacy group, celebrated the ruling as win for families and children.
“Every child deserves a loving home that can provide them stability and opportunities to grow,” Chafuen said in a press release. “Other states have put politics over people by excluding caring families and faith-based adoption and foster care organizations from helping children find loving homes. The Kansas Legislature correctly voted to override Gov. Kelly’s misguided veto.”
ADF is fighting for families in states where the law bars many Christian families from adoption or fostering due to their stance on gender ideology. These cases include an Oregon mother and two families in Vermont. Chafuen recognizes the state-level impact of measures like the Adoption Conscience Act.
“This is a critical step to prioritize the well-being of kids by prohibiting state and local government officials from discriminating against adoption and foster care providers and parents simply because of their religious beliefs and moral convictions,” said Chafuen. “ADF commends the Kansas Legislature for its leadership and steadfastness as well as Kansas Family Voice for its monumental work on this important effort. Children deserve loving families.”
Kelly’s contention with the state Legislature extends to sanctity of life issues. She recently vetoed three bills that would have protected unborn children. Kelly cut a line item within the state budget that provided $3 million to pro-life pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes. House Bill 2062 would have extended child tax exemptions for parents of unborn children, as well as child support payments for the unborn. Another bill would have required schools to use videos accurately depicting fetal development according to science.
