New Kansas policies I'm thankful for

Politics regularly get people fired up and thinking the worst about the way things are going. However, as a source that pushes to shrink government, protect children, and expand freedom to all Kansans across this great state, I want to do something positive during this time of thanksgiving and take a look back at some of the policies that I am personally thankful for passing in Kansas this year that I believe have done those three things.

H Sub for SB 116 – Removes state agency fees for licenses to carry concealed handguns

This pro-Second Amendment law made Kansas the second state in the U.S. to have both constitutional carry and free concealed carry permits. Despite Governor Laura Kelly being a Democrat who has gone on record in favor of gun control multiple times, she has also been the most supportive Democrat in Kansas when it comes to Second Amendment rights for Kansans. Due to this, it wasn’t much of a surprise when she signed this bill into law on Thursday, April 20, 2023, allowing more Kansans to access a concealed carry permit, instead of making it another obstacle for poorer Kansans when it comes to Second Amendment rights.

SB 174 – Decriminalizes use of fentanyl test strips and more

This bipartisan bill was signed into law on Thursday, May 11, 2023, and does a number of things from protecting healthcare providers from battery to adding domestic battery and violation of a protection order to the list of crimes a person can have the intent to commit when they enter or remain in a place specified in the crimes of burglary and aggravated burglary. One of my personal favorite things this bill does, however, as someone who supports better drug policy in Kansas than what we currently have, is the decriminalization of tests used to detect fentanyl, ketamine, or GHB by removing them from the definition of “drug paraphernalia.” This alone will save a number of Kansans from the potential dangers of drugs they are not intending to take. Truly, a huge win for Kansas.

HB 2238 – Fairness in Women’s Sports Act

The far-left did what the far-left does best and pushed misinformation and conspiracy theories regarding this pro-woman bill, making some people wrongly believe that this bill made it so children would be forced to have genital inspections, which the bill says nothing about if you actually take the time to read it. Some extremists even went so far as to push the narrative that Kansas Republicans “legalized pedophilia.” In reality, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act is a common sense bill that makes it so biological males cannot compete against biological females in women’s sports. Something Governor Kelly vetoed only to be overridden by the Kansas Legislature.

Reno County ends 30 Percent Rule

This is a special bonus specific to Reno County, Kansas. On Tuesday, November 7, voters in Reno County chose to open the free-market a bit more for businesses that sell alcohol by the drink. Under the oppressive 30 percent rule, businesses that sell alcohol by the drink had to make 30 percent of their profits from the sale of food or the government could come in and shut them down as it almost did with one business last year in Reno County. Here, at The Kansas Constitutional, we love seeing big government policies go in the trash where they belong, allowing businessowners the ability to run their businesses as they see fit.

Conclusion

While politics can bring your spirit down, it is important to celebrate the wins where you get them. Extremists that push to grow the government and take away freedoms will always exist on both sides, but we can all be thankful that there are people and organizations dedicated to fighting for free-markets and liberty for everyone. Also, if you are a subscriber, we would like to tell you thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our work. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!