TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans have vowed to fight the rise of a “sexualized woke agenda” across the state, saying they will work to pass legislation to stop the ideology, though conservative lawmakers have differing opinions on what the woke agenda is, and how to prevent it.
Senate President Ty Masterson and House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, both Republicans from Wichita, talked about the dangers of “woke ideology” during a Tuesday news conference where they unveiled the GOP eight-point legislative agenda for the session.
Legislative agenda items
Agenda priorities included election security and resisting “Biden’s efforts to hijack our elections,” along with preventing abortions in the state through implementing more anti-abortion measures and funding crisis pregnancy centers.
Masterson said Democrats wanted unchecked abortions and would support allowing women to abort during any stage of pregnancy, as well as allowing abortions after birth.
“The most radical view of abortion right now is actually the Democratic Party view, that unregulated abortion up to and, in some cases you see around the country, after birth,” Masterson said. “That is the most radical view of abortion there is. And with Hodes in place, we have the potential of that. All our commonsense restrictions are under attack.”
Abortions in the state are illegal after 22 weeks of gestation, except in cases where the mother’s health is in jeopardy. State records show there have been no abortions performed outside of this 22-week window in recent years.
Also on the agenda was authorizing the attorney general to investigate companies that “conspire to constrain the fossil fuel industry,” growing the Kansas workforce, regulating government assistance and the welfare program, continuing to support law enforcement, and protecting personal freedom.
Masterson said it was also time to change tax rates. Republicans favor tax rates that are flatter, fairer and lower, according to Masterson.
“We’ve seen in recent history that inflation is eating away the advantages gained in our income, and so we would like to give some of that back,” Masterson said during the news conference.
House Minority Leader Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, said a flat tax rate wouldn’t help all Kansans equally.
“Flat is not fair,” Miller said in a short rejoinder. 
Parental authority
Statehouse Republicans said they would prioritize Kansas children during the session by working to implement a student transgender athlete ban and adopting legislation that would give parents more say over education, including a “parental bill of rights.”
Parental authority and transgender student athletes have been the subject of recent debate. A form of the bill of rights was discussed in last year’s legislative session, though it didn’t become law. The legislation has been criticized for encouraging skepticism of classroom instructional materials and inciting challenges to books in school libraries.
Legislation that would have blocked transgender athletes from taking part in athletic teams designated for girls or women failed last year, though it is expected to be introduced again this year.
Sen. Molly Baumgardner said parents needed to have more input in school decisions, following a Jan. 10, 2023 conference on Republican legislative goals. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
