Laura Kelly

Governor of Kansas (Democrat) - Vetoed SB 244; veto overridden by Republican supermajorities

For decades, most U.S. states allowed transgender residents to update the sex listed on their driver's licenses. Kansas just reversed that—not by freezing future changes, but by retroactively invalidating roughly 1,700 licenses and a similar number of birth certificates that had already been updated. The law, published in the Kansas Register on February 26, 2026, took effect immediately with no grace period, meaning affected residents woke up that morning with documents the state now considers invalid.

Updated 2 days ago

Governor of Kansas (D) - Expected to veto; legislature has votes to override

Kansas passed a law requiring individuals to use bathrooms matching their sex assigned at birth in all government buildings, schools, and universities. The January 28, 2026, vote—87-36 in the House and 30-9 in the Senate—exceeded the two-thirds threshold needed to override Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's expected veto. Violations carry escalating penalties: $1,000 civil fine for a second offense and misdemeanor charges for three or more.

Updated Jan 30

Governor of Kansas (Democrat) - Endorsed Kansas Senate Bill 302 cellphone ban proposal

January 2026 accelerated the school cellphone crackdown beyond the four-state January 1st rollout. Within the first three weeks, New Jersey signed a statewide ban (effective 2026-27 school year), Michigan passed legislation through both chambers targeting fall 2026 implementation, and Kansas introduced bipartisan Senate Bill 302 with support from 30 senators. The tally now stands at 37 states plus Washington D.C. with restrictions—up from 35+ just weeks earlier. What started as France's 2018 experiment has become America's fastest education policy shift in a generation, with implementation now reaching critical mass.

Updated Jan 30