Kansas' attorney general wants to keep trans people from intervening in his lawsuit over state IDs

Source: Associated Press

Kansas’ attorney general wants to keep trans people from intervening in his lawsuit over state IDs

BY JOHN HANNA
Published 2:13 PM EDT, July 20, 2023

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Republican attorney general in Kansas is working to keep transgender people from intervening in his state-court lawsuit against changing the sex listings on their state driver’s licenses. His efforts already will block further changes until at least November.

Attorney General Kris Kobach, his legal team and lawyers for the Kansas Department of Revenue were in court Thursday to set a schedule for the lawsuit. The department’s motor vehicles division issues driver’s licenses and has changed the sex listing for more than 900 people during the past four years.

Kobach argues that changing driver’s licenses to reflect transgender people’s gender identities violates a state law rolling back transgender rights that took effect July 1. He sued two top Department of Revenue officials earlier this month after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly announced that the changes would continue despite the new state law.

Five transgender Kansas residents represented by the state’s American Civil Liberties Union chapter are asking District Judge Teresa Watson to allow them intervene in the lawsuit. Kobach said Thursday he is opposing their request, and Watson plans to rule on it after an Aug. 16 hearing.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/transgender-drivers-licenses-kansas-87f3c61cc6286aeffec60b36d99ca962