The cloud over Kansas SB-175, a piece of legislation that guarantees university funding for religious organizations that discriminate, has been how it would be perceived by outsiders. As Indiana and Arkansas come to term with significant corporate backlash to such proposals, it was Rep. Michael Houser (R-Columbus) who argued that the "mob mentality of political correctness groups" were busy trying to link protecting religion with discrimination, when that wasn't the point. The point being that those groups have a religious right to discriminate, of course, and that should be protected and funding through use of university resources, advertisement and room spaces for those groups cannot be denied by university.
While Representative Stephanie Clayton (R-Overland Park) spoke passionately about the need to block such legislation and the impact it would have economically and the perception of Kansas, other legislators weren't so swayed.
Rep. Steve Brunk (R-Wichita), noted to the committee that he could have used the email and lobbying efforts of the American Family Association to demand people vote the right way.
This strange decorum, of a sitting member openly either threatening or hinting that he could cause an outside PAC to do his bidding in an effort to pass through legislation, left many members uncomfortable with the idea that there would be repercussions for voting seemingly 'the wrong way'.
Rep. Annie Tietze
Rep. Annie Tietze, (D-Topeka), noted that listening to constituents wasn't mob rule, it was in fact her job. Rep. Tietze continued by noting that unforseen circumstances could be harmful for the Kansas economy and the bill was poorly timed in the national narrative.
Several Republicans and Democrats addressed the ongoing issues in Indiana, Arkansas and elsewhere with several Republicans pointing out that the negative impact of this measure was being over inflated versus the real discrimination that was occurring to Christian groups on college campuses who were either denied funding or resources because of their protected practices.
Jan Pauls, former Democrat now a Republican who has endorsed Ted Cruz for President, when pressed noted that this bill, no matter how it could be construed is not discrimination because: "You can't discriminate against (LGBT), they aren't a protected class."
Rep. Jan Pauls
The measure, which passed 12-10 now moves to the house floor for Debate.
The Kansas State House as well as many Kansas local races around the state next Tuesday are taking time to focus on discriminatory practices, whether they are instituting new guidelines specifically providing for discrimination or removing prior existing Non Discrimination Ordinances.