Governor vetoes first bill of session
GUEST COLUMN, Shannon Francis, 125th District Representative
The Southwest Chambers had their event in Topeka last week. We always have good representation from Liberal and Seward County. Liberal, Garden, Dodge, Hugoton, and Ulysses all participated. Thanks for coming. It makes a difference.
The Help Not Harm Act is the first bill to be vetoed by the Governor this session and will now return to the Senate and House where the Legislature can attempt to override the veto. SB 63 prevents healthcare providers from prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, or performing surgeries on minors for gender transition purposes. The reality is that many children who experience gender dysphoria eventually reconcile with their biological sex given the time and counseling. Children under 18 are not equipped with the knowledge or maturity to make decisions regarding these life-altering procedures. The treatment prohibited in the bill would not apply to treatment provided for individuals born with a medically verifiable disorder of sex development.


