The opening of the Republican National Convention: A crucial moment for citizens nationwide

As the Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee today, the eyes of the nation turn to a pivotal event that could shape the political landscape for years to come. This year’s convention isn’t just a gathering of party faithful; it’s a crucial moment to engage with the democratic process, understand the policies and platforms being proposed and scrutinize the leaders vying for our votes.

The significance of this event — at this time in our nation’s history — cannot be overstated. Milwaukee, a vibrant city with a rich political history, is the perfect backdrop for such a consequential gathering. It is in battleground states like Wisconsin where the future direction of the country often hinges. These are places where every vote counts, and every policy proposal is weighed with keen interest.

State Affairs is on the ground, ensuring that the stories and voices from this convention are heard far and wide. Our dedicated team of reporters is following key candidates and state delegates not only from Wisconsin but also from other critical battleground states like Louisiana and Tennessee. These states are microcosms of the diverse political, social and economic challenges facing the nation. By focusing on these areas, we aim to provide our readers with comprehensive coverage that highlights the stakes involved and the potential impacts on their daily lives.

As a former Washington Bureau Chief for a major, mainstream newspaper, I am no stranger to national political conventions. I know firsthand that the RNC is more than just speeches and pageantry. It is a forum where ideas clash, alliances form, and future state and national leaders emerge. For citizens, it is an opportunity to see beyond the rhetoric and assess the substance of what is being offered. 

For state lawmakers, national political conventions serve as a crucial nexus where state and national politics intersect, providing state legislators with the tools, connections and knowledge they need to effectively represent their constituents and navigate the complexities of governance. 

The agendas and priorities set at the RNC often trickle down and influence state-level legislation. And the priorities and direction that the national party will take, can — and often does — affect local legislative agendas.

In these uncertain times, the role of the press is more vital than ever. At State Affairs, we are committed to delivering in-depth, unbiased reporting that empowers our readers with the information they need to make informed decisions. As the convention unfolds, we will continue to bring you stories from the front lines that are important to you on the local level, providing context and clarity on the issues that matter most.

Follow along this week: WisPolitics Convention Corridor; WisPolitics on X; Kate Morton on X; Jeremy Alford on X; State Affairs Tennessee on X

The opening of the Republican National Convention: A crucial moment for citizens nationwide

As the Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee today, the eyes of the nation turn to a pivotal event that could shape the political landscape for years to come. This year’s convention isn’t just a gathering of party faithful; it’s a crucial moment to engage with the democratic process, understand the policies and platforms being proposed and scrutinize the leaders vying for our votes.

The significance of this event — at this time in our nation’s history — cannot be overstated. Milwaukee, a vibrant city with a rich political history, is the perfect backdrop for such a consequential gathering. It is in battleground states like Wisconsin where the future direction of the country often hinges. These are places where every vote counts, and every policy proposal is weighed with keen interest.

State Affairs is on the ground, ensuring that the stories and voices from this convention are heard far and wide. Our dedicated team of reporters is following key candidates and state delegates not only from Wisconsin but also from other critical battleground states like Louisiana and Tennessee. These states are microcosms of the diverse political, social and economic challenges facing the nation. By focusing on these areas, we aim to provide our readers with comprehensive coverage that highlights the stakes involved and the potential impacts on their daily lives.

As a former Washington Bureau Chief for a major, mainstream newspaper, I am no stranger to national political conventions. I know firsthand that the RNC is more than just speeches and pageantry. It is a forum where ideas clash, alliances form, and future state and national leaders emerge. For citizens, it is an opportunity to see beyond the rhetoric and assess the substance of what is being offered. 

For state lawmakers, national political conventions serve as a crucial nexus where state and national politics intersect, providing state legislators with the tools, connections and knowledge they need to effectively represent their constituents and navigate the complexities of governance. 

The agendas and priorities set at the RNC often trickle down and influence state-level legislation. And the priorities and direction that the national party will take, can — and often does — affect local legislative agendas.

In these uncertain times, the role of the press is more vital than ever. At State Affairs, we are committed to delivering in-depth, unbiased reporting that empowers our readers with the information they need to make informed decisions. As the convention unfolds, we will continue to bring you stories from the front lines that are important to you on the local level, providing context and clarity on the issues that matter most.

Follow along this week: WisPolitics Convention Corridor; WisPolitics on X; Kate Morton on X; Jeremy Alford on X; State Affairs Tennessee on X

The opening of the Republican National Convention: A crucial moment for citizens nationwide

As the Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee today, the eyes of the nation turn to a pivotal event that could shape the political landscape for years to come. This year’s convention isn’t just a gathering of party faithful; it’s a crucial moment to engage with the democratic process, understand the policies and platforms being proposed and scrutinize the leaders vying for our votes.

The significance of this event — at this time in our nation’s history — cannot be overstated. Milwaukee, a vibrant city with a rich political history, is the perfect backdrop for such a consequential gathering. It is in battleground states like Wisconsin where the future direction of the country often hinges. These are places where every vote counts, and every policy proposal is weighed with keen interest.

State Affairs is on the ground, ensuring that the stories and voices from this convention are heard far and wide. Our dedicated team of reporters is following key candidates and state delegates not only from Wisconsin but also from other critical battleground states like Louisiana and Tennessee. These states are microcosms of the diverse political, social and economic challenges facing the nation. By focusing on these areas, we aim to provide our readers with comprehensive coverage that highlights the stakes involved and the potential impacts on their daily lives.

As a former Washington Bureau Chief for a major, mainstream newspaper, I am no stranger to national political conventions. I know firsthand that the RNC is more than just speeches and pageantry. It is a forum where ideas clash, alliances form, and future state and national leaders emerge. For citizens, it is an opportunity to see beyond the rhetoric and assess the substance of what is being offered. 

For state lawmakers, national political conventions serve as a crucial nexus where state and national politics intersect, providing state legislators with the tools, connections and knowledge they need to effectively represent their constituents and navigate the complexities of governance. 

The agendas and priorities set at the RNC often trickle down and influence state-level legislation. And the priorities and direction that the national party will take, can — and often does — affect local legislative agendas.

In these uncertain times, the role of the press is more vital than ever. At State Affairs, we are committed to delivering in-depth, unbiased reporting that empowers our readers with the information they need to make informed decisions. As the convention unfolds, we will continue to bring you stories from the front lines that are important to you on the local level, providing context and clarity on the issues that matter most.

Follow along this week: WisPolitics Convention Corridor; WisPolitics on X; Kate Morton on X; Jeremy Alford on X; State Affairs Tennessee on X

State tax revenue comes in at just shy of December projections, agency reports

Indiana’s state government fiscal year ended with general fund tax revenue coming in almost exactly on the most-recent forecast figures.

Total tax collections through the end of June were $14.6 million, or 0.1%, short of the expectations from the state’s December revenue forecast. 

That shortfall came as tax revenue for the month of June came in $164.5 million, or 6.4%, less than anticipated, according to a State Budget Agency report released Friday.

A more complete look at the state’s financial condition will be available when officials release the fiscal year closeout report on July 23. That report will include a breakdown of state spending for the year and the status of the state’s surplus that was projected to fall by more than $800 million, or 28%, over the state’s two-year budget cycle. 

Breakdown on tax collections

The tax revenue report showed that sales taxes — the state’s largest revenue source — came in $85.4 million, or 0.8%, below the December forecast. Those collections fell short of projections for six straight months before coming in 0.4% above expectations for June.

Corporate income tax revenue was $181.5 million, or 15.8%, below the forecast.

Those shortfalls were largely offset by individual income tax collections beating expectations by $84.2 million, or 1.1%, and interest revenue coming in $178.8 million, or 45.4%, higher than anticipated.

Overall tax collections were $426.4 million, or 2%, better than the state revenue for the previous fiscal year.

State cash reserves status

The state ended the 2022-23 fiscal year with about $2.9 billion in cash reserves — a figure down by more than half of the record $6.1 billion in July 2022 as the state saw a slight dip in state tax collections and the Legislature bit into the surplus for hefty construction spending included in the new state budget approved in April 2023.

Those cash reserves were expected to drop to $2.3 billion at the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year and $2.1 billion the following year, according to the updated revenue forecast made in December.

That was because of an unexpected $1 billion jump in projected Medicaid expenses to state government and a slowdown in tax revenue growth from what was projected when the two-year state budget was finalized in 2023.

Tom Davies is a Statehouse reporter for State Affairs Pro Indiana. Reach him at [email protected] or on X at @TomDaviesIND.

Kansas politicians react to assassination attempt at Trump rally

Kansas politicians took to social media over the weekend to share their reactions to what is being considered an attempted assassination that killed one bystander and injured former President Donald Trump.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, posted Sunday he was “still shaken from the gravity of what happened” Saturday, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who is dead, allegedly fired shots at the former president during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Rallygoer Corey Comperatore was killed in the incident, according to reports.

“Violence targeting political adversaries is counter to everything our great country stands for,” Hawkins said on X. “I hope you’ll join me in praying for President Trump, the innocent families that will be forever impacted by this senseless act, the brave law enforcement officers who put their own lives on the line to prevent more tragedy, and for the United States as we move forward.”

Democrats weighed in as well, including Gov. Laura Kelly, who thanked law enforcement and called the shooting unacceptable.

“The free exchange of political discourse is a bedrock of our democracy,” she said in a statement on X.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab, who like Kelly didn’t mention Trump in his statement, wrote that he’s “praying for those who are suffering from the violence in Pennsylvania.”

Every member of Kansas’ congressional delegation weighed in, including Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, who both called the shooting an “assassination attempt.” Most offered their prayers for the former president, whose injuries were not life threatening.

The nation needs to “pause and grasp the magnitude of this event,” Marshall said in a statement. 

Some shared Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci’s already-iconic photo of Trump in the immediate aftermath, framed by the American flag with his fist held high. The photo was posted by Marshall; state Sen. J.R. Claeys, R-Salina; Rep. Pat Proctor, R-Leavenworth; and 2nd Congressional District candidates Derek Schmidt and Shawn Tiffany.

Proctor decried violence in American politics and called for people to vote in the primary and general election “while we still have a country left to save,” adding: #Trump2024.

Proctor posted about his experience in the military, where he “fought in failed states and combat zones where people settled their differences with bullets rather than ballots, wielding weapons rather than their vote to effect political change.”

Rep. Jo Ella Hoye, D-Lenexa, posted that she was struggling to find the right words. She was among the Kansas lawmakers who attended the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade this past Feb. 14 where gunfire killed one and injured 22 others.

“I’m angry that we still allow people under 21 easy access to AR-15s,” she wrote.

Many denounced political violence. Rep. Nick Hoheisel, R-Wichita, wrote on X that it’s the biggest threat to democracy, and 2nd Congressional District Democratic candidate Matt Kleinmann posted that “violence is never the answer.”

“The fabric of our society already feels thin,” wrote Rep. Rui Xu, D-Westwood. “Any action of political violence has to be rejected in the strongest possible terms.”

Brett Stover is a Statehouse reporter at State Affairs Pro Kansas/Hawver’s Capitol Report. Reach him at [email protected] or on X @BrettStoverKS.

Tennessee delegation gets in on the party at Republican convention

MILWAUKEE — The Tennessee delegate to the Republican National Convention has kicked off proceedings with receptions hosted by state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson of Franklin and U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty of Nashville. 

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood was scheduled to address the convention on Monday evening.

Johnson hosted delegates and guests on Sunday evening. Hagerty welcomed delegates at a breakfast reception where Tennessee orange MAGA hats were handed out to attendees. Not everyone was thrilled.

Members of the Tennessee delegation to the Republican National Convention pose for a group photo on July 15, 2024. (Credit: Jack Johnson on X)

“I’d rather kiss a donkey on the ass than put this orange thing on my head,” said Terry Roland, a state executive committee member from Millington.

Hagerty and Tennessee GOP Chairman Scott Golden, on the other hand, in separate speeches made a point of glorifying the color orange. It, in fact, was Orange Day for the delegation.

The Tennessean reported that the state party added several officials to the delegation, including U.S. Rep. John Rose of Cookeville, who had fallen short in his effort to be directly elected. Others include House Speaker Cameron Sexton of Crossville, House Majority Leader William Lamberth of Portland and Johnson.

U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty greets members of the Tennessee delegation at the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024. (Credit: Jack Johnson on X)

Damon Hininger, the CEO of private prison operator CoreCivic has also been named a delate, the paper reported. Hininger, who is considering a bid for governor in 2026, and his company are also hosting an elaborate reception for the Tennessee delegation later in the week.

Here is a list of the state party’s delegates, alternates and guests in Milwaukee.

  • Steve Allbrooks, State Executive Committee
  • Angie Allmand, Lauderdale County Republican Party
  • Sharon Anderson
  • Claudia Angel
  • Abigail Arpin, Trump delegate (At-Large)
  • Julia Atchley-Pace, Trump delegate (At-Large)
  • Ann Ayers-Colvin, State Executive Committee, Trump delegate (3rd District)
  • Laura Baigert, Roving Patriots, Tennessee Star, Trump delegate (6th District)
  • Deborah Bailey, Trump delegate (2nd District)
  • Kelly Barger, Trump delegate (At-Large)
  • Pat Barker
  • Dennis Beavers, State Executive Committee, Trump delegate (At-Large)
  • Chad Blackburn, Son of Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Trump delegate (At-Large)
  • Max Bonner, Trump delegate (At-Large)
  • Sharon Boreing, Tennessee Federation of Republican Women chair
  • Barbara Boswell, Trump delegate (At-Large)
  • Oscar Brock, Republican National Committee
  • Karen Brown, State Executive Committee
  • Linda D. Buckles, State Executive Committee, Trump delegate (1st District)
  • Joseph Butler, Trump delegate (8th District)
  • Mike Callahan, State Executive Committee, Trump delegate (6th District)
  • Beth Campbell, Republican National Committee
  • Kip Capley, State House member, Trump delegate (4th District)
  • Nick Castle, Trump delegate (1st District)
  • Craig Clark, Trump delegate (6th District)
  • Calvin Rogers Clayton, Trump delegate (At-Large)
  • Emma Jane Clayton
  • Mya Conrad, Trump delegate (At-Large)
  • Debbie Corey
  • Joe Coury, Trump delegate (8th District)
  • Jonathan Crisp, Lobbyist, public relations executive
  • Vincent Cuevas, Former Marshall County commissioner, Trump delegate (5th District)
  • Lynne Davis, State Executive Committee
  • Donna DeSopo, Hendersonville activist
  • Jeffrey Dillard, Trump delegate (4th District)
  • Clay Doggett, State House member, Trump delegate (4th District)
  • Jimmy Duncan, Retired U.S. House member, Trump delegate (2nd District)
  • Lulu Elam, State Executive Committee, Trump delegate (5th District)
  • Karen Entz, Former Williamson County Commission candidate
  • Danny Esquibel, Brentwood real estate agent
  • Tonya Esquibel, Brentwood real estate agent
  • Lisa Ann Flowers, Uncommitted delegate
  • Garrett Floyd, Trump delegate (6th District)
  • Michelle Foreman, State House candidate, Trump delegate (7th District)
  • Todd Fowler, State Executive Committee
  • Ron Gant, State House member, Trump delegate (8th District)
  • Dianne Garland
  • Jim Garrett, Davidson County Republican Party chair
  • Craig Garton, Sumner County Republican Party chair
  • Stevie Giorno, Trump delegate (At-Large)
  • Gloria Giorno, Trump delegate (At-Large)
  • Emily Goldberg, State Executive Committee, DeSantis delegate (3rd District)
  • George Gray, DeSantis delegate (3rd District)
  • Andrew Guffee, Trump delegate (3rd District)
  • Aaron Gulbransen, Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition
  • Jena Hackett
  • Rodney Harrison, Trump delegate (9th District)
  • Cindy Hatcher, State Executive Committee, DeSantis delegate (2nd District)
  • Shannon Haynes, State Executive Committee
  • Lucas Heaton, Trump delegate (At Large)
  • Lona Heins, Trump delegate (5th District)
  • Wayne Holcomb, Trump delegate (9th District)
  • Tim Hutchison, State Executive Committee, former Knox County sheriff, Trump delegate (2nd District)
  • Jack Johnson, State Senate member
  • Charlotte Kelley, State Executive Committee
  • Linda Kelley
  • William Lamberth, State House member
  • Peggy Larkin, State Executive Committee
  • Kimberly Lax, Trump delegate (8th District)
  • Blake Lay, Lawrenceburg mayor
  • Mary Littleton, State House member, Trump delegate (7th District)
  • Jeremy Locke
  • Jim Looney, Lawrence County Election Commission member
  • Adam Lowe, State Senate member
  • Brad Lytle, Trump delegate (5th District)
  • Rob Mathis, Trump delegate (1st District)
  • Jake McCalmon, State House member
  • Angie McClanahan, State Executive Committee, DeSantis delegate (5th District)
  • Ron McDow, State Executive Committee, Trump delegate (3rd District)
  • Summer McMillan, Knoxville attorney
  • Ken Meyer, State Executive Committee, DeSantis delegate (3rd District)
  • Cyndi Miller, State Executive Committee, Trump delegate (5th District)
  • Patty Mills, State Executive Committee, Trump delegate (2nd District)
  • Mark Moore, Trump delegate (7th District)
  • Kent Morrell
  • Monica Mountain, DeSantis delegate (At Large)
  • Charlotte Myers, Trump delegate (At Large)
  • Terri Nicholson, State Executive Committee
  • Mary Ann Parks, State Executive Committee
  • Natalie Pearce, Trump delegate (7th District)
  • Robert Possel, Trump delegate (At Large)
  • Kevin Powers, Trump delegate (8th District)
  • David Queen, State Executive Committee, DeSantis delegate (3rd District)
  • Juana Quinones
  • John Richardson, State Executive Committee
  • Tess Robbins, State Executive Committee, Trump delegate (8th District)
  • Terry Roland, State Executive Committee, Trump delegate (9th District)
  • Chelsea Rose, Wife of U.S. Rep. John Rose
  • Paul Rose, U.S. House member
  • Iva Michelle Russell, State Executive Committee, Trump delegate (4th District)
  • Liz Sillay, Nashville attorney
  • Myra Simons, State Executive Committee
  • Mary Smith, DeSantis delegate (4th District)
  • Wade Smith
  • Clint Swindall
  • Mary Ann Tackett, Lincoln County commissioner
  • Dalton Temple, Trump delegate (3rd District)
  • Britnie Turner, Nashville developer
  • Cary Vaughn, Shelby County Republican Party chair
  • Cliff Vicars, Washington County Republican Party
  • Harrison Vinett, Trump delegate (At Large)
  • Chris Walker, Former communications director for Gov. Bill Lee, DeSantis delegate (At Large)
  • Cathy Waterbury, Tipton County Republican Party
  • Dawn White, State Senate member
  • Rick Williams, Staffer for U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, Trump delegate (At Large)
  • Susan Richardson Williams, Former TVA board member, DeSantis delegate (2nd District)
  • Valerie Williams
  • Patricia Woodard, Trump delegate (At Large)
  • Marsha Yessick, Former Hamilton County GOP chair, Trump delegate (3rd District)

Statehouse Briefs: Top appellate judge picked for national law group

The top judge on the Kansas Court of Appeals will be among the new members of an independent national law group.

Chief Judge Karen Arnold-Burger was elected to the American Law Institute, the judicial branch announced Monday. Arnold-Burger is one of 47 new members of the group, a nonprofit that works to clarify, modernize and improve the law.

“It is an understatement to say I am thrilled and profoundly honored to be elected a member of this institute,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to working with other judges, lawyers, and legal scholars to help fulfill the institute’s mission to improve the administration of justice everywhere.”

New members were selected from among confidential nominations by members of the organization. Current American Law Institute members from Kansas include Chief Justice Marla Luckert, former Justice Carol Beier and Senior Court of Appeals Judge Richard Walker, who served three terms in the House during the 1970s.

Arnold-Burger has been the appellate court’s chief judge since 2017 and has served on the court since 2011.

Kelly makes administrative appointments

Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday made seven new appointments and one reappointment to various state boards.

Kansas Board of Healing Arts

  • Richard Bradbury, Salina (reappointment)
  • Donna Sweet, Wichita
  • Vernon Mills, Leavenworth

Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee

  • Randy Regehr, Buhler

Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board

  • Denise Cyzman, Lawrence

Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities

  • Anita Breen, Clay Center
  • Sarah Mai, Mission

Coordinating Council on Early Childhood Developmental Services

  • Kathy Kersenbrock-Ostmeyer, Colby

Brett Stover is a Statehouse reporter at State Affairs Pro Kansas/Hawver’s Capitol Report. Reach him at [email protected] or on X @BrettStoverKS.

Wake Up Call for Monday, July 15, 2024

Lake, Gallego race could buck nearly 40-year trend Arizona Capitol Times Presidential wins have increasingly wrung Senate victories for the prevailing political party, but a  pollster and consultants predicted the 2024 election could buck the decades-long trend given recent polling, the unpopular top ballot candidates and existing splits in the Republican party. ESA enrollment hits 75,000, short of some projections Arizona Capitol Times After a year of roving projections, final enrollment and funding for the Empowerment Scholarship Account program in the last fiscal year fell far short of earlier predictions by the Department of Education and the governor’s office, but remained close to the mark on projections by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. Groundwater special session unlikely in election year Arizona Capitol Times Republican and Democrat legislative leaders are skeptical that Gov. Katie Hobbs will call a special session for groundwater legislation, despite the governor’s staff saying her office is close to a deal with Republican lawmakers.  Arizona politicians react to assassination attempt of Trump Capitol Media Services The shooting Saturday of former President Trump has provoked an outpouring of support from across the political spectrum in Arizona – as well as claims by some that what happened is a direct result of rhetoric from the Left. The Secret Service is investigating how a gunman who shot and injured Trump was able to get so close Associated Press The U.S. Secret Service is investigating how a gunman armed with an AR-style rifle was able to get close enough to shoot and injure former President Donald Trump at a rally Saturday in Pennsylvania, a monumental failure of one of the agency’s core duties. Shooting at Trump rally is being investigated as assassination attempt, AP sources say Associated Press The shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania is being investigated as an attempted assassination of the former president and presumptive Republican nominee, law enforcement officials say. Court rules border ballot measure legal, appeal to come Capitol Media Services State lawmakers are entitled to ask voters to approve a border security measure that contains everything from penalties for entering this country to selling fentanyl, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Minder ruled late Friday. After Trump shooting, if GOP, Democrats are actually against violence, they'll do this The Arizona Republic They’ve all said the right things, because they all know what they’re supposed to say. Pray that shooting of Trump will unite America to rethink our angry division The Arizona Republic It’s a nauseating day in America. The attempted murder – and that’s what it was – of Donald Trump is a jarring moment in our beloved country. One that offers all of us an opportunity to pause in our national cage fight. Prince Harry proves he was the right person to earn ESPN's Pat Tillman award The Arizona Republic In the months and years after Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004, I spoke several times to his mother, Mary, known to her family as “Dannie.”

LGBTQ group calls decision on Tennessee’s transgender birth certificate policy ‘big setback’

The head of Tennessee’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization is calling it a “big setback” that 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that state officials aren’t discriminating against transgender people by preventing them from changing the sex designation on their birth certificates.

“Not only is it bad in and of itself related to trans people being able to get birth certificates to reflect what they are, but it ties into a lot of other bills and laws even that have been enacted since,” said Tennessee Equality Project Executive Director Chris Sanders.

The four plaintiffs who brought the suit were represented by Lambda Delta. It is unclear whether there will be an appeal. An official with the group did not respond to an interview request last week.

In the 2-1 decision upholding Nashville U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson’s 2023 ruling, Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote “there is no fundamental right to a birth certificate recording gender identity instead of biological sex.” 

Sutton, appointed to the court by President George. W. Bush, also said that the four plaintiffs, all of them transgender individuals, could not demonstrate “animus” against the four plaintiffs because Tennessee’s law “long predates medical diagnoses of gender dysphoria.”

The opinion was joined by Judge Amul Thapar, an appointee of President Donald Trump.

The four plaintiffs argued the state policy violated their rights under the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment. In the opinion, Sutton noted that in 2017, California, Oregon and Washington became the first States in country to allow changes to an individual’s birth-certificate sex based on self-designation alone, without proof of medical treatment or surgery.

“Today, the states’ practices are all over the map,” he wrote. “At least six states do not permit amendments that conflict with the individual’s biological sex.”

That includes Tennessee.

“At this point, it deserves emphasis, just eleven states have adopted the plaintiffs’ approach — permitting individuals to amend their birth certificates whenever they self-report a difference between their gender identity and their sex on a birth certificate,” Sutton wrote. 

He said in “interpreting an essentially unamendable constitution, the federal courts must be careful about freezing in time just one new approach to a difficult policy issue, particularly one that is steadily evolving and one that turns on each state’s plenary power to decide how to speak for itself about the matter.”

Sutton added that “any other approach — one going beyond the original bedrock promise of treating like individuals alike — would usher in a new form of equal protection, what might be called a substantive equal protection claim.”

In her dissenting opinion, Judge Helene White, a George W. Bush appointee to the court, sided with the plaintiffs.

“Forcing a transgender individual to use a birth certificate indicating sex assigned at birth causes others to question whether the individual is indeed the person stated on the birth certificate,” White wrote. “This inconsistency also invites harm and discrimination.”

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement that the question of changing the sex designation on a birth certificate should be left to the states. 

“While other states have taken different approaches, for decades Tennessee has consistently recognized that a birth certificate records a biological fact of a child being male or female and has never addressed gender identity,” Skrmetti said. “ We are grateful that the Court of Appeals agreed with the district court that any change in Tennessee’s policy can only come from the people of Tennessee.”

LaPolitics Pod: Convention Basics With Mike Bayham

A fourth-time delegate to the Republican National Convention this week, state Rep. Mike Bayham is the guest for episode 67 of the LaPolitics Report podcast. (Spotify/Apple​​​​​​​)

While he’s backing former President Donald Trump this go around, Bayham on three other occasions sought to back candidates who weren’t the front-runners.

“Oh, we got a lot of pressure,” Bayham said during his interview, reflecting on various efforts for him and others to switch sides in previous conventions.

This week, of course, he and the rest of Louisiana’s delegation will support Trump across the board.

“Absolutely,” he said when asked.

Bayham also covered the basics for this week, from how delegates were selected to exactly how much money it costs to be part of a party convention.

“It’s completely out of pocket,” he said, noting many delegates will spend a few thousand. “They charge you for everything. It’s extremely expensive.”

While Trump’s nomination won’t be a surprise, delegates are expected to vote on a new GOP platform this week, which includes tweaking long-held stances on a federal abortion ban and other issues.

Bayham said he anticipated the changes while watching “Trump trying to shift a little bit off” of traditional GOP messaging on these topics.

Plus, in our regular history segment, we hear the 1976 “Challenge” speech delivered by Ronald Reagan at that year’s Republican National Convention.

Bayham also turned an eye to local politics of yesteryear and shared his own memories of two late elected officials that defined his St. Bernard Parish, state Sen. Lynn Dean and Parish President Junior Rodriguez. (Spotify/Apple​​​​​​​)

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