Kansas governor shores up voters after Trans ban veto
After Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed two bans on Trans athletes from girls' and women's sports, her administration has been rushing to quell a Republican backlash during a close race for reelection.

Her campaign has since said that Kelly believes decisions around Trans athletes should be made at a local and personal level, not through "unnecessary new government mandates."

"Men aren't playing girls' sports," said Tom Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas. "This is the scare-tactic framing of the far right. What we're talking about in this situation is schoolkids in competitive games with their peers at school, and our position is, Trans girls are girls; Trans boys are boys."

Kelly's Republican opponent, Dereck Schmidt, has said that Kelly is pushing "the Transgender agenda" and pointed to her progressive voting record.

Maine religious schools slow to apply for state funding
Jesuit prep institution Cheverus High School in Portland, Maine, is the only religious school in the state to apply for its tuition reimbursement plan. Now, with the state's approval, it will become the first religious school to receive government funding since the Supreme Court ordered Maine to treat religious and private schools the same way regarding reimbursement.

The executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, Carroll Conley, lauded the development. "We're hopeful and encouraged that [other schools] might be able to find a path to participate next year," he said.

Other religious schools have been cautious in applying for the new benefits on account of the warnings of Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey. All schools accepting public funds, Frey said, would have to abide by the Maine Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability.