by Chuck Weber
Taxes and spending are dominating much of the 2025 Kansas legislative discussions. The Catholic bishops and their public policy voice, the Kansas Catholic Conference (KCC), typically do not weigh in on economic issues, focusing instead on “culture of life” legislation.
People sometimes cynically (and unfairly) claim that Catholics are the “church of no.” But for every “thou shall not,” there is a more important “yes,” to God’s design and the beauty of the human person.
With that in mind, here is a brief legislative update:
After two unsuccessful attempts punctuated by appeals of misplaced compassion, SB 63, Help Not Harm, is now the law. Children in Kansas will no longer be subjected to surgical amputations and/or chemical manipulations for an attempted gender change. Gender dysphoria can be real. Responsible counseling, parenting and friendships are superior solutions, not life-altering, discredited experiments.
Kansans with an intellectual disability moved a step closer toward better representation of their rights at the end of life, thanks to HB 2359. The KCC is working with the Disability Rights Council (DRC) of Kansas and others on this legislation.
HB 2307 is a promising bill requiring educational support and resources for parents of a child with a disability, either pre-birth or after-birth.
HB 2062 is a measure allowing a judge to consider requiring child support payments from the biological father of a child (so-called “deadbeat dads”), dating back to the time of conception to help cover pregnancy- related expenses.
Abortion in Kansas is at record-high levels with no meaningful legal protections from the abortion industry in place for women or their preborn children. What cannot be done with the law must be done with love.
The KCC supports legislation providing financial support to maternity homes and pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) serving women with unplanned pregnancies who wish to bring their child into the world. Funding for the two-year-old Kansas Pregnancy Compassion Act (part of HB 2007) will likely face a governor’s veto and override vote.
HB 2311 is a religious liberty bill protecting the rights of foster and adoption parents. In some states, prospective parents have been denied children because they would not use transgender names and pronouns. Let’s ensure that doesn’t happen in Kansas.
The KCC offered our qualified support for SCR 1602, a non- binding resolution that calls for “encouraging the governor to fully cooperate with federal enforcement of immigration laws.” Our testimony also called for the Catholic Church to care for every person with respect and love, no matter their citizenship status. Despite some inaccurate news media drama, these two objectives are not in conflict.
Sign up for KCC newsletters and action alerts online at: www.KansasCatholic.org. Look under “Current News.” We persevere!
