Deal struck on N.C. bathroom bill
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Republican lawmakers announced Wednesday night that they have an agreement with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on legislation to resolve a standoff over the state’s “bathroom bill.”
GOP leaders said the new legislation would be debated and voted on today. House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger declined to take questions during a brief news conference, but they said in a written statement that they’re pleased the proposal “fully protects bathroom safety and privacy.”
In a statement Wednesday night, Cooper said he’s on board with the proposal. He said it’s “not a perfect deal” but that it would begin to repair the state’s reputation.
The movement toward a deal on House Bill 2 comes ahead of a deadline today from the NCAA to make changes to the law or lose the ability to host championship events through 2022. The NCAA has said the law, which among other things requires that transgender people use public bathrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates, is discriminatory to the homosexual, bisexual and transgender community.
The proposal would repeal HB2 but would leave state legislators in charge of policy on public multistall restrooms. Local governments would be barred from adopting nondiscrimination ordinances covering sexual orientation and gender identity until December 2020.
That temporary moratorium, according to Moore and Berger, would allow time for pending federal litigation over transgender issues to play out.
It’s unclear whether there are enough House and Senate votes to approve the deal. Officials said House Republicans narrowly approved the compromise in a closed caucus, but in numbers that would require Democratic votes on the floor.
The negotiations wore on some Democratic lawmakers. Rep. Cecil Brockman, who is openly bisexual, slammed the door in frustration as he left a caucus meeting Wednesday.
Leaders of national and state gay-rights groups said Wednesday evening that they want only legislation that completely repeals HB2 and does nothing else.
“The rumored HB2 ‘deal’ does nothing more than double-down on discrimination and would ensure North Carolina remains the worst state in the nation for LGBTQ people,” Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in a statement.
The NCAA has said decisions would be made starting this week on events from 2018-22. North Carolina cities, schools and other groups have offered more than 130 bids for such events.
The law already has prompted some businesses to halt expansions and entertainers and sports organizations to cancel or move events. An Associated Press analysis this week found that HB2 will cost the state more than $3.76 billion in lost business over a dozen years.