03/30/2017

NC Legislature Passes HB 2 Compromise

The bill now goes to the governor for his signature

Today, North Carolina lawmakers approved a compromise bill to repeal the state’s controversial House Bill 2 that denies public accommodations to members of the LGBTQ community. The bill now goes to Governor Roy Cooper for his signature.

The agreement, reached between Cooper and Republican leaders late last night, would repeal HB 2 and essentially return the state to pre-HB 2 status quo when it comes to transgender people using public facilities. The bill also prevents any local government from enacting their own non-discrimination ordinances until December 2020, a provision that had human rights groups lobbying legislators to oppose the bill.

“This new law does not repeal HB 2,” said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “Instead, it institutes a statewide prohibition on equality by banning non-discrimination protections across North Carolina and fuels the flames of anti-transgender hate.”

It was enough, however, to win support from the state’s Democratic lawmakers and Cooper.

“It’s not a perfect deal, but it repeals House Bill 2 and begins to repair our reputation,” Cooper said in a statement last night. "This law I’m signing today is not just about North Carolina’s reputation – or jobs and sports. It’s about working to end discrimination. Under HB2, North Carolina had zero LGBT protections. Today’s law not only provides for LGBT protections, but opens the door for more... It stops short of many things we need to do as a state."

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Wayne Goodwin also endorsed the agreement ahead of today’s vote. “After more than a year of damage by House Bill 2 to our state’s citizens, economy and reputation, this dark chapter in North Carolina’s history appears to be finally coming to a close,” Goodwin said.

State lawmakers and the governor’s office had a renewed urgency to strike a deal on HB 2 repeal because of a reported deadline from the NCAA, which urged the state to change the law or lose the ability to host any sports championships through 2022. The potential loss of collegiate events would have added to the economic damages North Carolina has suffered since enacting HB 2 last year. A report from the Associated Press earlier this week projected that the state would lose about $3.7 billion in lost business over a 12-year period if the law was left in place.

This article was provided to OSAE by The Power of A.