TOPEKA, KS — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed legislation requiring daily recess and annual fitness testing in public schools, citing concerns over legislative overreach into education policy.
The bill would have mandated 30 minutes of unstructured recess for elementary students and required annual physical fitness testing for students in grades 1 through 12. It passed with strong Republican support in both chambers of the state Legislature.
Kelly said she supports both daily recess and student fitness assessments but argued the Kansas State Board of Education, not lawmakers, has constitutional authority over curriculum standards. She pointed to ongoing efforts by the board to implement similar measures without legislative mandates.
Republican leaders, including Senate President Ty Masterson, criticized the veto, arguing the state has a responsibility to promote student health. Masterson called the decision “absurd” and said he would pursue the policy if elected governor.
The governor also vetoed additional bills, including measures to recognize gold and silver as legal currency and to provide tax exemptions for certain transactions and military income. She warned those proposals could reduce state revenue and complicate fiscal planning.
Because the legislative session has ended, lawmakers cannot override the vetoes this year.
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