By JAMES
BELL
Hays Post
People filled the Schmidt Community Commons of the Hays Public Library in downtown Hays on Saturday morning for the last of three Legislative Coffee sessions.
And while everyone in the crowd came to hear updates from Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, Rep. Barbara Wasinger, R-Hays, and Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, it was clear from the outset that about a third had a specific topic on their minds.
Many sported signs with sayings such as “Trans Lives Matter” and “Quality people don’t fear equality.”
After opening remarks and a brief budget discussion, their concerns began to be addressed after moderator Hays Chamber President and CEO Sarah Wasinger asked, from a list of previously submitted questions:
“What is your reasoning for why, at the February 13 hearing for House Bill 2238, there were only seven proponents for the bill out of 104 testimonies?”
As the panel collectively looked up the bill's topic, an audience member offered, “it’s the fairness in women’s sports.”
“I find that in any organization, in any bill, when you have a large number of people that don't like it, they come in in force,” Rep. Wasinger said. “I don't use that as a litmus test.”
“Obviously, I have been in support of fairness in women's sports for the last three years, and I will continue to work for it,” she continued. “And it has nothing and says nothing about transgenderism. It says if you're a biological female, you play on the female team. If you're a biological male, you can play in the male team. Or you can play in an open team group where you can play with anybody you want to switch everything around or coed.”
“I voted for it, and we'll do a veto override this week probably,” Rahjes said. “We’ll override the governor's veto.”
“Supporting one thing does not mean we don’t support other things,” Rep. Wasinger said before Billinger addressed the question.
He equated the legislation to little league baseball.
“It wouldn't be right to let a senior come and play on the eighth-grade team,” Billinger said. “You can play up, but you can't play down. So that's similar to this.”
After moderator Wasinger addressed some chatter from the audience, Billinger said, “This all came up with a swimmer that won and was clearly bigger, stronger than the women. That’s basically where it is at.
An audience member asked, “Do you know that swimmer's name?”
“William Thomas,” Rep. Wasinger said.
Moderator Wasinger moved the panel onto another topic, but transgender issues would again come up before the end of the session when an audience member directly asked Billinger:
“You said in your opening statement, if I recall correctly, that you wanted every single dollar to be spent wisely. Do you believe that enforcing bills such as SB 233, SB 10, and the quote-unquote, fairness and women's sports act would be enforcing that, and therefore the be wise as possible way to spend every dollar?”
Billinger questioned back what in the legislation would require funding.
Enforcement on the public and private level, an audience member said.
“I don't know that we've been spending a lot of dollars or time on that,” Billinger said.
Another audience member pointed out there would be negative mental health implications for those affected.
“I've mentioned the mental health, I think that’s something we have got to do a better job,” Billinger said. “And I think we're working towards trying to do a better job. Yeah, it's definitely right up at the top.”
