In a blow to both religious liberty and foster care parents, the Governor of Kansas, Democrat Laura Kelly, vetoed a bill that would have protected adoptive parents from far-left gender ideologues. Christians decried the move for stifling their First Amendment rights and “excluding caring families and faith-based adoption and foster care organizations.”
For context, Kelly won her seat in 2018 and reelection in 2022 over Republican challenger Derek Schmidt. During her tenure, she became infamous for her harsh COVID-19 policies and draconian school closings, which sparked sharp criticism for crippling small businesses and disrupting education.
In any case, House Bill 2311 sought to restrict the government from denying an adoption based on the prospective parent’s faith. The law forbids actions 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.”
Continuing, the law “prohibits selection, appointment or licensure, if otherwise eligible, of a person because of such person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity or intent to
guide or instruct a child consistent with such beliefs.”
Clarifying her controversial decision, Gov. Kelly issued a statement explaining why she vetoed the bill. She said, “The top priority of the Kansas Department for Children and Families should be adhering to the “best interest of the child” standard. Legislation like this detracts from this standard and stands in the way of best serving those in the child welfare system.”
Building on that point, the Kansas governor said, “Children in need of care already face unique and complex challenges. I will not sign legislation that could further complicate their lives. I also have concerns that this bill could expose the state to frivolous lawsuits and hinder the agency by taking time and resources away from critical services. Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2311.”
Responding to the Kansas governor’s callous decision, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a First Amendment advocacy group, harshly condemned it. They wrote, “Every child deserves a loving home that can provide them stability and opportunities to grow. Gov. Kelly’s disappointing veto of HB 2311 puts politics over people, excluding caring families and faith-based adoption and foster care organizations from helping children find loving homes—just like we’ve seen in other states that don’t have this protection.”
Concluding their statement, ADF said, “HB 2311 would help children benefit from as many adoption and foster care agencies as possible, both faith-based and non-faith-based. Overriding this veto would mean that more families can open their hearts and homes to children in need of a safe and loving environment—that’s keeping kids first. We hope that the Kansas Legislature will prioritize the state’s children and promptly override this veto.”
However, all hope is not lost; the bill passed the state house by an 86-37 vote, which means it is possible to override the veto and pass this vital bill. Both Republican legislators and religious advocates have signaled their intention to fight for this bill.