‘School choice’ is culture-war focus for Kansas lawmakers

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Republican legislators in Kansas are focusing on helping conservative parents remove their children from public schools over what’s taught about gender and sexuality. The effort has become their alternative to pursuing a version of what critics call Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. A proposal to allow parents to use state tax dollars to pay for private or home schooling was to be available online Tuesday after a committee on K-12 spending introduced the measure in the House. The introduction comes as public school curriculum and funding have become hot button issues for conservative politicians nationwide. Lawmakers in Iowa approved a similar law last week and at least a dozen states are considering similar legislation.