Late Tuesday, the Kansas state Senate Committee on Education scheduled a hearing on SB 484 for Monday, March 7, at 1:30pm.
SB 484 is a slimmed‑down repeat of last year’s SB 208, which seeks to ban transgender and gender non‑conforming children from participating in school sports.
Equality Kansas and our coalition partners have scheduled a rally for noon on Monday, immediately before the hearing, at the Kansas statehouse.
We’ll be rallying on the first floor in the rotunda. You’ll get to hear from and meet Kansas’ four openly‑LGBT state representatives – Stephanie Byers, Susan Ruiz, Heather Meyer, and Brandon Woodard.
After the rally, we will move into the committee hearing room. Let’s pack that place!
We will also have packets with information on how you can meet with your local state representative and state senator, and let them know the damage this legislation will do to trans youth.
With some help from our allies in the legislature and a swift veto by Governor Laura Kelly, we beat last year’s bill. It’s critical we show up at the statehouse on Monday! We can beat this latest attack on trans youth again, but only with your help.
The hearing is currently scheduled to take place in Committee Room 144-S, also on the first floor. However, since we’re expecting a large audience, the hearing may be moved to a larger meeting room. We’ll announce the location at the rally.
See you there!
PS: If you would like to submit a written statement opposing this bill, the committee deadline is noon tomorrow, Friday, March 4. Your statement should be in PDF format, and emailed to the committee assistant Cyndie Rexer at Cyndie.Rexer@senate.ks.gov
Your written testimony may be any length, and should have this format:
First and Last Name
Title and Organization (if any)
Opponent Testimony of SB 484
For the Senate Education Committee
March 7, 2022
(Followed by your statement)
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@eqks.org
ARRIVING AT THE CAPITOL:
The Kansas State Capitol is at 300 SW 10th St, Topeka, KS.
The public entrance is at the intersection of SW 8th and SW Van Buren in Topeka, KS [http://goo.gl/maps/X987F], on the north side of the Capitol building. Be prepared for airport-style security. All visitors must pass through a security checkpoint, and all bags are screened through an x-ray machine.
After passing through security, it’s a short walk to stairs and elevators to the 1st floor.
Parking can be difficult. For a good spot, plan to arrive in Topeka early.
-There is metered parking around the Capitol. The meters cost $1 per hour, accept quarters, and are limited from 1 hour to 10 hours depending on where you are parked. Overtime parking tickets are $8 for the first ticket, with fines increasing if you`ve had Topeka parking tickets in the past.
-There is additional parking in per-hour parking garages on 8th near Kansas Street and 9th near Kansas Street, within easy walking distance of the capitol.
-There is a two-hour parking lot southwest of the capitol at SW 10th and Topeka Blvd.