Tennessee pushes to define ‘sex,’ could risk federal funding

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Republican lawmakers have advanced legislation that would prevent transgender people from changing their driver’s licenses and birth certificates. It’s a move that officials warn could cost the state millions in federal funding, but the bill’s supporters on Thursday argued they didn’t care about the potential costs. If enacted, the proposal would define male and female in state law and base people’s legal gender identities on their anatomy at birth. Legislative officials tasked with calculating the fiscal impact of bills have stated that the bill would likely open the state to “civil litigation and could jeopardize federal funding” because it could conflict with federal rules.