A Democratic senator in Kansas reportedly voiced her anger after finding that her party had voted to override the governor’s veto of a measure that would exclude transgender youth from participating in girls’ sports.
The state House passed the measure on February 23, with the support of one Democratic member and all Republican lawmakers present. The Senate finally passed it on March 17, but Governor Kelly vetoed it the next day.
The state legislature in Kansas, both houses of Republican supermajorities, obtained the 66% majority necessary to prevent Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of HB2238 on Wednesday.
For the last three years, Kelly has used her veto to save transgender children from being barred from playing sports traditionally reserved for girls.
As the Kansas House of Representatives voted to override the governor’s veto by a margin of 84 to 40, Democratic Representative Susan Ruiz of Kansas reportedly stood up on the House floor to express her displeasure. According to reports, she let her fellow Republicans know that they were full of “s—-.”
Ruiz’s rude reaction stemmed from her overhearing Republicans laughing after the vote, as stated in reports. She said a fellow Republican party member had been “gloating” as he entered the room.
Another Democrat, Representative Heather Meyer, was seen wearing a “protect trans children” T-shirt in the House chamber. One story claims that Representative Meyer has a transsexual kid.
Kelly told the reporters when the override was successful, “It breaks her heart.”
“This is distressing news to hear. I know this was a tough vote for some legislators, and I think it’s a choice they’ll regret as they reflect on their time in office.
She expressed that the moral principles at stake in this decision are profound.
In addition, she added that, in her opinion, they went against their morals and the values they claim to uphold by casting that vote. Long term, she sees this as a really difficult scenario for them.
