Referendum to repeal state’s transgender student law reaches next step

California election officials say a spot check has prompted further review of signatures for a proposed ballot referendum aimed at repealing the state’s new transgender student law.

The Secretary of State’s Office said Wednesday that projections based on random sampling show the law’s opponents obtained 95.6 percent of the valid signatures they need to qualify the referendum for the November ballot.

That’s a little more than what was required to trigger a full check of the 619,233 signatures backers say were submitted.

The law took effect Jan. 1. It guarantees students the right to use school bathrooms and to participate in the sex-segregated activities that correspond with their expressed genders instead of their school records.

Opponents say the law violates the privacy of youngsters who may be uncomfortable sharing facilities with classmates of the opposite biological sex.