Republicans have softened a proposal to make it harder for people and groups to collect and deliver voters’ absentee ballots. But they did not address Democrats’ objections before the measure cleared the GOP-controlled Legislature on Thursday.
GOP lawmakers said they’re trying to prevent “ballot harvesting” by candidates and interest groups. Democrats said it would hinder legitimate get-out-the-vote efforts. The bill would make it a misdemeanor for people to deliver more than 10 absentee ballots for others. An earlier version of the bill would have limited people to delivering five ballots and a violation a felony. The votes were 27-11 in the Senate and 80-42 in the House.
The Legislature appears ready to pass a proposed ban on transgender athletes in girl’s school sports. The House approved the bill late Thursday, 76-43. The Senate was expected to follow sometime Friday.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly typically does not say what she’ll do with legislation before it reaches her desk, but she has dropped strong hints that she plans to veto such a ban. Supporters of the bill were eight votes short in the House of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.
Top Republican lawmakers have hit a snag in trying to pass a proposal that would allow parents of academically struggling students to pay for private schooling with state dollars normally earmarked for public schools. A bill that ties public school funding to the proposal failed Thursday night in the GOP-controlled Senate on a 19-19 vote.
Republican leaders hoped to persuade at least a few GOP senators who voted no to switch to yes and planned another vote for Friday. The House approved the measure Thursday, 64-59, so the Senate’s approval would send the measure to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.