PHOENIX — Republican legislative leaders are making a last-ditch effort to defend and preserve a state law that says only those who undergo a sex-change operation are entitled to an amended birth certificate.
House Speaker Steve Montenegro and Senate President Warren Petersen contend U.S. District Court Judge James Soto erred in concluding the law amounts to a requirement for transgender individuals to submit to surgery to get a birth certificate that reflects their identified gender.
They say there are legitimate reasons for limiting who can get an altered birth certificate, including “preventing fraud and preserving the stability of the vital-records system.” Now they are asking the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the 2024 ruling.
