On her first full day in office, Democratic Governor Laura Kelly reinstated protections for LGBT state workers that former Republican Governor Sam Brownback had eliminated in 2015.
The order bars harassment and discrimination in hiring and firing at state agencies based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Kelly says she’s focused on getting the highest quality employees for the state workforce.
“I want our state employees to perform at the very, very highest level," Kelly says. "I don’t care who they’re married to or the color of their skin or any of those kinds of things.”
Kelly’s order also applies to any contractors doing business with the state of Kansas.
When Brownback revoked the last anti-discrimination order in 2015, he said it was because lawmakers should create protections, not the governor.
Stephen Koranda has more: