MN attorney general files preemptive lawsuit against Trump on transgender sports

[Jessica_Rose]

Minnesota attorney general files preemptive lawsuit against Trump on transgender sports ban

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/minnesota-attorney-general-files-preemptive-lawsuit-against-trump-on-transgender-sports-ban/ar-AA1DpsVT?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=d5e10e494e804fbd84c9b01ba99f5912&ei=26

Story by STEVE KARNOWSKI (22 April 2025)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a preemptive lawsuit Tuesday against Republican President Donald Trump seeking to block his administration from acting against Minnesota in the way it's taking on Maine under a federal push to ban transgender athletes from girls and women's sports.

"Minnesota brings this lawsuit to stop President Trump and his administration from bullying vulnerable children in this state," Ellison said at a news conference, quoting the opening line from the lawsuit naming Trump and his attorney general, Pam Bondi.

When Bondi announced the administration's lawsuit against Maine last week, she warned that Minnesota and California could be next. The administration's lawsuit followed weeks of feuding between Trump and Democratic Gov. Janet Mill of Maine that led to a clash at the White House when she told Trump, "We'll see you in court."

With this case, Ellison is trying to beat Trump and Bondi to the courthouse.

The federal lawsuit asks the court to declare Trump's two executive orders on the matter — and letters that the Justice Department has sent to Minnesota threatening to cut off education funding if the state doesn't comply — unconstitutional and bar their enforcement. Ellison told reporters that the orders violate the constitutional separation of powers by usurping Congress' authority to legislate.