North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signs HB2 repeal bill into law
RALEIGH, N.C. (FOX46/AP) - North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced that he has signed a bill that repeals House Bill 2 into law.
The compromise to end North Carolina's "bathroom bill" passed both the NC Senate and House earlier Thursday. House Bill 142 passed the House in a 70-48 vote. It was approved by a 32-16 vote in the Senate.
See Cooper's press conference here:
The law limits LGBT nondiscrimination protections and requires transgender people to use restrooms in schools and government buildings corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate.
Social conservatives preferred keeping HB2 while gay rights groups want a complete repeal.
A version of the bill released Wednesday night would prevent local governments from passing new nondiscrimination protections for workplaces, hotels and restaurants until December 2020.
A transgender man who works at the University of North Carolina, Joaquin Carcano, spoke against the deal during the committee meeting.
Carcano says this proposal doesn't repeal House Bill 2 but only replaces it with a "new form of violence" against LGBT people and is sacrificing "our lives and our safety for the sake of basketball."
The City of Charlotte released the following statement regarding House Bill 142 and the repeal of House Bill 2:
“We are pleased that the North Carolina legislature has taken this important step by repealing House Bill 2. This legislation has impacted economic development, tourism, businesses and more over the last year, and we look forward to moving beyond this matter.
By repealing HB2, this bill reinstates Charlotte's non-discrimination ordinance as it read prior to February 22, 2016. That means that a place of public accommodation (i.e., "a business, accommodation, refreshment, entertainment, recreation, or transportation facility … whose goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages or accommodations are extended, offered, sold or otherwise made available to the public") may not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. Complaints of discrimination may now again be filed with the City's Community Relations Committee which will investigate and bring an enforcement action if warranted.
The City of Charlotte remains committed to being a welcoming and inclusive city.”
See how your lawmakers voted:
For the House, click here.
For the Senate, click here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.