In 2024, voters can reshape the balance of power in the Kansas Legislature.
The Kansas GOP holds more than two-thirds of seats in both the State House and Senate. This “supermajority,” as it’s known, means Republicans alone can pass a bill and then override the Democratic Governor’s veto. They’ve done this repeatedly in recent years.
Democrats are making a major effort to break that supermajority this election. They hope to pick up two House seats and in doing so make it impossible for Republicans to override the Governor’s veto on major issues with Republican votes alone.
Gender-affirming care, food stamp restrictions, and abortion access have all hinged in recent years on the Legislature’s ability — or lack thereof — to bypass the Governor’s veto.
Last session, for example, the Legislature passed a bill that requires abortion providers to report details about why a patient is seeking care. The bill, which a group of physicians have challenged in court, bypassed the Governor’s veto by the slimmest possible margin of 84 votes in the House.
In evaluating the entire landscape of Kansas House candidates and districts, Kim Zito is certainly no worse than quite near the apex among Democratic candidates seeking Republican seats. On May 22nd, I published a diary to introduce Kim Zito to the Daily Kos family.
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