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A28 u.s. news
Diahuebs 28 aPRiL 2022

Perdue invokes Trump election lies in Georgia GOP primary

That tracks with the broader month gas tax holiday and the former president’s allega-
shifts in the Republican Party a $1 billion-plus special in- tions were also roundly re-
under Trump. But some in come tax refund. jected by courts, including by
the GOP warn that the fixa- judges Trump appointed.
tion on past elections will do Speaking at the White Dia-
little to win a general election mond Grill, a longtime Per- During the speech, he touted
in Georgia, where moderate due hangout featured in a his lawsuit that seeks to un-
voters are crucial. campaign commercial for seal physical ballots for ex-
Perdue’s 2014 Senate run, amination in Atlanta’s Fulton
Perdue, who was personally Kemp said he wants state County, making allegations
courted by Trump to enter government to “take in the without evidence that poll
the race as retribution for very least amount possible workers took bribes and peo-
Kemp not going along with needed to serve the people ple were paid to gather and
election lies, is lagging ahead properly.” deliver ballots illegally.
of the May 24 primary. An
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Despite Perdue’s change in Perdue in 2014 was channel-
(AP) — As he met with his Facebook page of himself poll released Tuesday found tone since 2014, the former ing some of the same busi-
voters recently in a part of beaming as the group’s co- Kemp leading Perdue 53% chief executive of Reebok nessman-outsider themes
northwest Georgia where founder talks under a banner to 27% among likely voters. and Dollar General insists he that Trump harnessed so
Donald Trump is still very proclaiming “a legal vote re- While that’s a sizable mar- hasn’t changed as he eyes the powerfully two years later.
popular, David Perdue quires the rule of law.” gin, it just barely puts Kemp governor’s mansion. But he was more subtle then,
invoked his belief in the above the 50% threshold he introducing himself to voters
lie that elections in 2020 The emphasis on false elec- would need to avoid a runoff. Still, Perdue’s sharpest focus as a “different type of person”
and 2021 were stolen from tion claims is a reminder of is on claims that Georgia’s who cared most about re-
the former president and how far Perdue has veered Kemp is pressing his ad- 2020 presidential election forming federal spending.
himself. to the right ahead of next vantage, traveling Tuesday and 2021 Senate runoffs, in
month’s primary against in- to a barbecue restaurant in which Perdue lost to Demo- Perdue wasn’t generally seen
“First of all, it was stolen,” cumbent Republican Gov. Perdue’s middle Georgia crat Jon Ossoff, were fraudu- as the most conservative
Perdue said. “The facts are Brian Kemp. He’s evolved hometown of Bonaire to lently won by Democrats. choice in 2014. After win-
coming out.” from a business-minded sign a state income tax cut No credible evidence has ning the primary, he defeated
conservative who won a U.S. that could eventually total emerged to support Perdue Democratic candidate Mi-
When the rally was over, Per- Senate seat in 2014 by focus- $2 billion. While Perdue has and Trump’s claims of mass chelle Nunn, whom he said
due visited the storefront of- ing on federal spending to pushed to gradually eliminate voter fraud. Federal and state he still considered a friend
fice of a group that similarly a hard-liner who associates the state income tax entirely, election officials and Trump’s years later, a nod to a bipar-
espouses election falsehoods. with conspiracy theorists. Kemp boasted of a series of own attorney general have tisanship out of vogue among
Perdue posted a photo on tax breaks, including a two- said the election was fair, and hardcore partisans.

Oklahoma governor signs ban on nonbinary birth certificates

(AP) — Oklahoma Gov. executive order prohibiting House last week. “We want Arkansas, Tennessee and Doctors and scientists say sex
Kevin Stitt signed a bill any changes to a person’s clarity and truth on official Texas, have passed laws pro- and gender are not the same
Tuesday explicitly prohib- gender on birth certificates, state documents. Informa- hibiting gender-confirming thing. While sex typically re-
iting the use of nonbinary despite the settlement agree- tion should be based on es- treatments for minors. fers to anatomy, gender iden-
gender markers on state ment. A civil rights group has tablished medical fact and tity is more an inner sense of
birth certificates, a ban challenged the executive or- not an ever-changing social The U.S. State Department being male, female or some-
experts say is the first of its der in federal court, but the dialogue.” recently announced it had where in between, regardless
kind in the nation. state has not yet responded. issued its first passport with of physical anatomy, accord-
Oklahomans in 2020 elected an “X” gender designation, ing to Dr. Jason Rafferty, a
The bill followed a flap last Many states only offer male the nation’s first openly non- marking a milestone in the pediatrician and child psy-
year over the Oklahoma or female gender options on binary legislator in the coun- recognition of the rights of chiatrist at Hasbro Children’s
State Department of Health’s birth certificates, but Okla- try, Oklahoma City Demo- people who do not identify as Hospital in Rhode Island and
agreement in a civil case al- homa is the first to write the crat Rep. Mauree Turner, male or female, and expects a lead author of the American
lowing a nonbinary option. nonbinary prohibition into who said it was painful to to be able to offer the option Academy of Pediatrics’ trans-
The birth certificate in that law, according to Lambda Le- have colleagues single out more broadly next year. gender policy.
case was issued to an Okla- gal, the civil rights group su- those who are gender diverse.
homa-born Oregon resident ing Oklahoma.
who sued after the agency “I find it a very extreme and
initially refused the request. Currently, 15 states and the grotesque use of power in
People who are nonbinary do District of Columbia specifi- this body to write this law
not identify with traditional cally allow a gender marker and try to pass it — when lit-
male or female gender as- designation outside of male erally none of them live like
signments. or female, according to the us,” Turner tweeted the day
National Center for Trans- the bill was debated.
News of the settlement gender Equality. That num-
prompted outrage among ber will increase on July 1 Republicans in conservative
Republicans, including Stitt, when Vermont’s new statute states across the country have
who along with fellow con- goes into effect. introduced several bills this
servatives in a number of year targeting transgender
GOP-led states have been en- “People are free to believe and nonbinary people. Okla-
gaged in a culture war over is- whatever they want about homa’s governor earlier this
sues like restricting LGBTQ their identity, but science has year signed a bill prohibiting
and abortion rights that drive determined people are either transgender girls from play-
the party’s base in an election biologically male or female ing on female sports teams,
year. Stitt’s appointee to lead at birth,” said Oklahoma one of many such bans be-
the agency abruptly resigned Rep. Sheila Dills, the House ing signed into law across the
the next day, and the gover- sponsor of the bill, in a state- country. Other conservative
nor then promptly issued an ment after the bill passed the states, including Alabama,