Because they hold a supermajority — more than a two-thirds majority in each Kansas state legislative chamber — the rightwing has the power to override Governor Laura Kelly’s vetoes. 2023 is illustrative. Rightwing lawmakers used that power to override eight of Kelly’s 17 vetoes in the 2023 legislative period. During just one ugly 21-day period in April, 2023, the supermajority overrode Kelly’s vetoes of:
(1) a bill banning transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports at public schools and colleges, and of
(2) three anti-abortion bills.
A teetering supermajority has maintained such control year after year, buttressed by gerrymander after gerrymander as the decades have rolled by. Slicing the district-drawing bologna ever thinner. So now the path to breaking the supermajority is flipping just two seats in the House, to make our minority 83–42. Hairsplittingly more than one-third. But more than one-third, unlocking far more of Governor Kelly’s ability to block the rightwing’s extremist agenda.
Justin Shore presents Governor Kelly and Kansas Democrats an unexcelled shot at one of those two must wins in 2024. I introduced Justin Shore to the Daily Kos community on May 6th.
Your contribution in any amount could make a big difference.
My poll question tenders a couple of invitations to volunteer non-monetary elbow grease to Justin’s effort. If you so offer to help, message your contact information to grim determined indolent at Daily Kos.