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| North Carolina lawmakers vote to end state's so-called 'bathroom bill' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The North Carolina House and Senate voted today to end the state’s so-called “bathroom bill”, in the hope of expanding business opportunities and attracting sporting events ahead of a Thursday deadline from the NCAA to amend the law or lose out on hosting future events. | |
| Democratic Governor Roy Cooper is expected to sign it into law Thursday afternoon. | |
| The house voted 70-48 to pass the bill. Earlier Thursday morning it passed the senate 32-16, with several Democrats voting against the bill even after the state | |
| The new agreement, House Bill 142, which, though it repeals the bathroom bill, has angered LGBT and civil liberty groups because it prohibits future anti-discrimination ordinances by cities and councils. | |
| House Bill 2 (HB2) had limited LGBT nondiscrimination protections and required people to use restrooms in schools and government buildings corresponding to the gender assigned to them at birth, in a direct affront to transgender people. | House Bill 2 (HB2) had limited LGBT nondiscrimination protections and required people to use restrooms in schools and government buildings corresponding to the gender assigned to them at birth, in a direct affront to transgender people. |
| But House Bill 2 was only introduced in March 2016 because the city of Charlotte put in place a city ordinance banning the discrimination of people based on gender or sexual identity, which the state wanted to overrule. | But House Bill 2 was only introduced in March 2016 because the city of Charlotte put in place a city ordinance banning the discrimination of people based on gender or sexual identity, which the state wanted to overrule. |
| Thursday’s new agreement would ban such anti-discrimination ordinances until December 2020. | Thursday’s new agreement would ban such anti-discrimination ordinances until December 2020. |
| Social conservatives in the general assembly would prefer to have HB2 stay on the books. Gay rights groups oppose the replacement measure because it would still restrict LGBT protections from discrimination. Political repercussions exist for legislators and Cooper. | Social conservatives in the general assembly would prefer to have HB2 stay on the books. Gay rights groups oppose the replacement measure because it would still restrict LGBT protections from discrimination. Political repercussions exist for legislators and Cooper. |
| Cooper, who was elected governor last November with support from LGBT forces and on a platform that included a complete repeal of HB2, said in a release that he supported the compromise unveiled Wednesday shortly before midnight by GOP lawmakers. | Cooper, who was elected governor last November with support from LGBT forces and on a platform that included a complete repeal of HB2, said in a release that he supported the compromise unveiled Wednesday shortly before midnight by GOP lawmakers. |
| “It’s not a perfect deal, but it repeals House Bill 2 and begins to repair our reputation,” Cooper said. | “It’s not a perfect deal, but it repeals House Bill 2 and begins to repair our reputation,” Cooper said. |
| The late-night announcement came after the NCAA had said North Carolina sites wouldn’t be considered for championship events from 2018 to 2022 “absent any change” in House Bill 2, which it views as discriminatory. | The late-night announcement came after the NCAA had said North Carolina sites wouldn’t be considered for championship events from 2018 to 2022 “absent any change” in House Bill 2, which it views as discriminatory. |
| The NCAA already removed championship events from the state this year because of the law.. | The NCAA already removed championship events from the state this year because of the law.. |
| On Tuesday, Scott Dupree, the executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, which puts together the NCAA bids for North Carolina, tweeted that the state had until Thursday to change the laws in order for its bid to be considered: | On Tuesday, Scott Dupree, the executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, which puts together the NCAA bids for North Carolina, tweeted that the state had until Thursday to change the laws in order for its bid to be considered: |
| “I have confirmed with a contact very close to the NCAA that its deadline for HB2 is 48 hours from now. If HB2 has not been resolved by that time, the NCAA will have no choice but to move forward without the North Carolina bids. The NCAA has already delayed the bid review process once and has waited as long as it possibly can, and now it must finalize all championship site selections through spring of 2022.” | “I have confirmed with a contact very close to the NCAA that its deadline for HB2 is 48 hours from now. If HB2 has not been resolved by that time, the NCAA will have no choice but to move forward without the North Carolina bids. The NCAA has already delayed the bid review process once and has waited as long as it possibly can, and now it must finalize all championship site selections through spring of 2022.” |
| North Carolina cities, schools and other groups have offered more than 130 bids for such events. | North Carolina cities, schools and other groups have offered more than 130 bids for such events. |
| HB2 prompted some businesses to halt expansions and entertainers and sports organizations to cancel or move events, including the NBA All-Star game in Charlotte. An Associated Press analysis this week found that HB2 already will cost the state more than $3.76bn in lost business over a dozen years. | HB2 prompted some businesses to halt expansions and entertainers and sports organizations to cancel or move events, including the NBA All-Star game in Charlotte. An Associated Press analysis this week found that HB2 already will cost the state more than $3.76bn in lost business over a dozen years. |
| The new proposal repeals HB2 but would leave state legislators in charge of policy on public multi-stall restrooms. Local governments also couldn’t pass ordinances extending nondiscrimination protections in private employment and in places such as hotels and restaurants covering categories such as sexual orientation and gender identity until December 2020. That temporary moratorium, according to the Republican house speaker Tim Moore and the senate leader Phil Berger, would allow time for pending federal litigation over transgender issues to play out. | The new proposal repeals HB2 but would leave state legislators in charge of policy on public multi-stall restrooms. Local governments also couldn’t pass ordinances extending nondiscrimination protections in private employment and in places such as hotels and restaurants covering categories such as sexual orientation and gender identity until December 2020. That temporary moratorium, according to the Republican house speaker Tim Moore and the senate leader Phil Berger, would allow time for pending federal litigation over transgender issues to play out. |
| “Compromise requires give and take from all sides, and we are pleased this proposal fully protects bathroom safety and privacy,” Berger and Moore said in a statement. It’s not clear whether the NCAA would be satisfied by the changes. | “Compromise requires give and take from all sides, and we are pleased this proposal fully protects bathroom safety and privacy,” Berger and Moore said in a statement. It’s not clear whether the NCAA would be satisfied by the changes. |
| Responding before Wednesday night’s announcement to anticipated provisions in the legislation, top national and state gay rights activists blasted the proposal and said those who backed Thursday’s measure weren’t allies of the LGBT community. Only a complete repeal, with nothing else, will do, they say. | Responding before Wednesday night’s announcement to anticipated provisions in the legislation, top national and state gay rights activists blasted the proposal and said those who backed Thursday’s measure weren’t allies of the LGBT community. Only a complete repeal, with nothing else, will do, they say. |
| “At its core, it’s a statewide prohibition on equality,” the Human Rights Campaign president, Chad Griffin, told reporters, adding that consequences could fall on Cooper, whom gay rights activists supported in the election, for backing a “dirty deal”. | “At its core, it’s a statewide prohibition on equality,” the Human Rights Campaign president, Chad Griffin, told reporters, adding that consequences could fall on Cooper, whom gay rights activists supported in the election, for backing a “dirty deal”. |
| “It would be a failure of leadership for Cooper” and for Democratic legislative leaders to back this agreement “instead of standing up for civil rights”, the Equality North Carolina executive director, Chris Sgro, said. | “It would be a failure of leadership for Cooper” and for Democratic legislative leaders to back this agreement “instead of standing up for civil rights”, the Equality North Carolina executive director, Chris Sgro, said. |
| The Republican-controlled legislature passed HB2 in response to a Charlotte ordinance that allowed transgender people to use restrooms aligned with their gender identity. Cooper narrowly defeated the GOP governor Pat McCrory, who signed the law. HB2 supporters say ordinances like the one in Charlotte make it easy for sexual predators to enter public restrooms designated for the opposite sex. | The Republican-controlled legislature passed HB2 in response to a Charlotte ordinance that allowed transgender people to use restrooms aligned with their gender identity. Cooper narrowly defeated the GOP governor Pat McCrory, who signed the law. HB2 supporters say ordinances like the one in Charlotte make it easy for sexual predators to enter public restrooms designated for the opposite sex. |
| Several potential compromises have failed over the past year, including one during a special session in December that collapsed amid partisan finger-pointing. GOP and Democratic legislators have been in a seemingly endless chase during the past several weeks to cobble together enough votes on various drafts of legislation. | Several potential compromises have failed over the past year, including one during a special session in December that collapsed amid partisan finger-pointing. GOP and Democratic legislators have been in a seemingly endless chase during the past several weeks to cobble together enough votes on various drafts of legislation. |
| The Associated Press in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report | The Associated Press in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report |