Leif Le Mahieu – Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Sanders made a significant announcement on Tuesday, stating that the state would no longer permit the use of “X” as a gender marker on driver’s licenses and state IDs.
Instead, these forms of identification must now specify the individual as either male or female, in accordance with the gender listed on their birth certificate.
The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) will be responsible for implementing this change. This move effectively rescinds previous administrative procedures that allowed for an “X” designation in lieu of male or female on state-issued IDs. The gender on the ID must now correspond with the gender on the resident’s birth certificate.
Sanders made her stance clear, stating, “This policy is just common sense. Only women give birth, men shouldn’t play women’s sports, and there are only two genders. As long as I’m Governor, Arkansas state government will not endorse nonsense.”
For those Arkansas residents who currently have “X” on their IDs, these will remain valid until their expiration date. However, upon renewal, the IDs must be updated to reflect either male or female, in compliance with the individual’s original or amended birth certificate.
This policy, which allowed the use of X on IDs, was first introduced in 2010. DFA Secretary Jim Hudson flagged it for review after he began examining department policies in August 2023. Hudson confirmed that the new policy aligns with Arkansas law.
“This change announced today reflects a commonsense approach that ensures a license or ID issued by the State of Arkansas is based on objective, verifiable information,” Hudson stated.
“All of our stakeholders in law enforcement, other government agencies, caregivers, schools, and businesses depend on DFA-issued licenses and IDs to keep our communities safe and to prevent fraud. The discontinued policy is not supported by Arkansas law and was never subject to public comment and
review by the Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC), as required by the Administrative Procedures Act.”
On Tuesday, the DFA will submit an emergency rule to the Arkansas Legislative Council’s executive subcommittee for review. Hudson assured, “We are committed to implementing this new policy in a manner that is respectful towards all of our customers.”
This isn’t the first time Governor Sanders has taken a stand against what she perceives as ‘woke’ culture. She previously issued an executive order to remove “woke, anti-women” language from government documents, opting for traditional terms like “pregnant women” or “pregnant mom” instead of the more inclusive “pregnant people.”
SF Source Middle America News Mar 2024