GOP mulls next move after Kansas governor vetoes effort to help Texas in border security fight
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas’ governor is blocking an effort by Republican lawmakers to give the state’s National Guard a “border mission” to help Texas in its partisan battle with the Biden administration over illegal immigration.
Top Republicans in the Kansas House considered Thursday whether their chamber can muster the two-thirds majority needed to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of immigration provisions in the next state budget. The Senate’s top Republican pledged to make an override effort, but the House would vote first.
Kelly on Wednesday vetoed a budget provision that would have prompted her administration to consult with Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott and send Kansas National Guard personnel or equipment to the border. The Republican Party’s proposal would have helped Texas enforce a state law that allows its officials to arrest migrants suspected of entering the U.S. illegally. She also vetoed a provision that set aside $15.7 million for the effort.
Abbott is locked in a legal battle with the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden, which maintains that the U.S. Constitution gives the federal government control over border security. In her veto message, Kelly said border security is a federal issue and suggested the budget provisions improperly infringed on her power as commander in chief of the Kansas National Guard.
“It is not the role of the Legislature to direct operations or call out the National Guard,” she wrote. “When a governor deploys soldiers as part of a federal mission, it is done intentionally and in a way that ensures we can protect our communities.”
Kansas lawmakers reconvened Thursday after spring break and will wrap up their work for the year Tuesday.
Republicans across the country have expressed support for Texas, and Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson acknowledged Thursday that Kansas’ $15.7 million in spending would mostly represent “moral support” for Texas’ much larger effort.
Masterson, a Republican from Wichita, said the state Constitution gives lawmakers the authority to pass laws to give directions to agencies under Kelly’s control.
“She has ties to the Biden administration, so she is not motivated to help solve that problem,” he said.
Earlier this year, the Kansas House and Senate passed separate resolutions expressing support for Texas. Democrats said the Texas governor’s position is constitutionally suspect and has created a humanitarian crisis.
Masterson said Republicans would try to override the veto. However, because the provisions were included in a budget bill, it is not clear that Republican leaders have the necessary two-thirds majority in either chamber — although they would if all Republicans were present and voted yes.
“We are trying to provide every available option to support our border, support our fellow states and ensure our nation is safe,” said House Majority Leader Chris Croft, a Republican from Kansas City.