Kansas Republicans enjoyed a lovefest last weekend where Gov. Laura Kelly was the main entreé.
The Manhattan convention came on the heels of a slew of vetoes by the Governor, providing Republicans ample fodder for grousing.
Most notably, Kelly vetoed legislation that restricts voting, allows concealed carry of firearms for teens, mandates an NRA-devised curriculum on gun rights for public schools, allows the sale of a pro-slavery license plate, insists on a civics test for high-schoolers, and bans transgender girls from participating in school sports.
“The most dangerous weapon in the state of Kansas is an ink pen in the hand of Laura Kelly,” Attorney General Derek Schmidt told attendees.
In our view, Kelly is our bulwark against extremism.
KRISTI NOEM, Gov. of South Dakota, served as the convention’s keynote speaker.
“Your governor is a mess,” Noem said, straight out of the playbook of Sarah Palin, whose political banter never knew a level other than the gutter.
Noem is best known for refusing to enact any COVID-19 policies, such as the wearing of face masks or temporarily closing high-traffic businesses when the pandemic invaded the Midwest.
At one point South Dakota had the highest rate per 100,000 cases of COVID. Today, it is the third-highest with 13,718 per 100,000.
Kansas, whose legislators have overturned all of the governor’s recent efforts to address the pandemic, is ranked 15th with 10,589 confirmed cases per 100,000. Statewide, Kansas is bumping 5,000 deaths to the virus.
On Saturday, Noem said those governors who chose proactive measures to ward off the virus did so “out of fear … and for political purposes. And the people in your communities are paying a price.”
By “price,” Noem is referring to the sacrifices businesses made to save lives.
Noem also berated Kelly’s defense of trangenders, and downplayed the fact she recently refused to sign legislation that, like in Kansas, would ban their participation in sports.
In doing so, Noem cited the potential economic damage to South Dakota from corporations and sports organizations who threaten to retaliate against such hateful legislation by withdrawing their business.
Noem has suggested South Dakota schools take the initiative to discriminate.
