Judge disappoints foes of transgender rights law

Sacramento, Calif. (AP) — A judge in Sacramento has ruled that elections officials in 30 California counties do not have to turn over records that would help supporters of a failed ballot referendum challenge the invalidation of thousands of voter signatures.

Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley on Friday granted the state's request to quash subpoenas issued on behalf of Privacy for All Students, which sought to repeal a new law that spells out the rights of transgender students in public schools.

Relying on counts submitted by county offices, the secretary of state determined in February that the group was about 17,000 signatures short of the number needed to qualify its proposed referendum.

The state argued that the referendum's supporters were entitled to review the discounted signatures, but that supplying copies of the detailed records they requested would violate voters' privacy.

Privacy for All said its plans to appeal.

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The Gayly – April 19, 2014 @ 10:15am