.png)
Legislators fail to repeal North Carolina 'bathroom Bill'
Plans to repeal the controversial North Carolina law limiting LGBT protections fell apart late Wednesday, after hours of closed-door wrangling
HB2 is known by some as the ‘bathroom Bill’ because it required transgender individuals to use bathrooms that corresponded with the gender on their birth certificates
A deal to repeal North Carolina's so-called "bathroom Bill" collapsed on Wednesday, as each side accused the other of broken promises.
Lawmakers held a special session to repeal House Bill 2 (HB2), which had spurred extensive economic boycotts and protests in the state. But the legislative body adjourned for the night without having voted on a proposal.
HB2, known by some as the “bathroom Bill” because it required transgender individuals to use bathrooms that corresponded with the gender on their birth certificates, was passed nine months ago. The Bill also removed some civil rights protections for LGBT people and prohibited local ordinances to protect the minimum wage. Businesses, entertainers and sports teams have boycotted North Carolina over the controversial Bill.
During the debate Wednesday, lawmakers had introduced a Bill that would repeal the law, but would also place a six-month moratorium on local ordinances regulating employment practices, public accommodations or access to restrooms. The moratorium was intended to prevent Charlotte city from passing a similar measure again.
A compromise deal was announced several days ago, when Charlotte agreed to repeal its ordinance and the Republican-dominated senate agreed to repeal HB2 - effectively a "reset" of the entire controversy. But state legislators were unable to reach agreement after late additions were made to the proposed deal.
The city of Charlotte went ahead and voted to reverse its ordinance. The senate's repeal of HB2, however, never materialised.
"This wasn't the deal," Senator Jeff Jackson, a Charlotte Democrat, said. "This Bill breaks this deal. Charlotte would have not repealed its ordinance if this was the deal."
"The legislature had a chance to do the right thing for North Carolina, and they failed,'' Governor-elect Roy Cooper said. "This was our best chance. It cannot be our last chance."
The political fallout from HB2 was enormous, costing the state millions of dollars.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) moved its all-star game to another state, Bruce Springsteen and others cancelled concerts there, and PayPal dropped expansion plans, costing the state 400 jobs. The US Justice Department has taken legal action against North Carolina over the Bill.
