By MARK SCOLFORO
Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania court is taking up a legal challenge by three transgender women to a two-decade-old state law prohibiting people with serious felonies from ever changing their names. Commonwealth Court will hear oral arguments Thursday in the lawsuit brought by plaintiffs who live as women but are unable to change their masculine first names because of a 1998 state law designed to prevent fraud. Current state law requires anyone convicted of a felony to wait at least two years after completion of their sentence to apply for a name change. Those convicted of certain more serious felonies are permanently barred from changing their names.

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