NJ Gov. Christie vetoes bill allowing transgendered citizens right to change name on birth certificates

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie today vetoed a bill that would have granted transgender citizens the right to change their names on their birth certificates.

From the governor's veto statement:

Birth certificates are often required to complete myriad security-related tasks. Accordingly, proposed measures that revise the standards for the issuance of amended birth certificates may result in significant legal uncertainties and create opportunities for fraud, deception, and abuse, and should therefore be closely scrutinized and sparingly approved.

The bill was approved by the state Assembly in June by a vote of 43-27.  The state Senate approved it in December by a vote of 21-11.

Garden State Equality’s Troy Stevenson condemned the veto as a “vindictive move to punish the LGBT community,” highlighting that the bill would “have zero effect on anyone else.”

(source)