RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Roy Cooper held a news conference where he announced a new proposal to repeal House Bill 2.
Cooper says the proposal would wipe House Bill 2 off the books while taking major steps to address Republican’s concerns.
The proposal includes:
- A full repeal of House Bill 2
- Tougher penalties for crimes committed in restrooms and dressing rooms
- A requirement that local governments give the legislature 30 days’ notice before voting on non-discrimination ordinances.
βI know North Carolinians are tired of hearing about this. HB 2 has divided us and stained our reputation. Iβve proposed a common sense compromise that will get HB2 off the books and address concerns on both sides. Itβs time for Republican leaders to step up and lead their members because February needs to be the month we get this done,β said Governor Cooper.
βHB 2 has already cost our economy thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars. We now have a very short window to take action before the NCAA removes tournament games for six years. We must act. With this compromise, every single Republican justification for House Bill 2 will be addressed. Itβs time for Republican leaders to have the backbone to put our economy first and repeal this disastrous law,β said House Democratic Leader Darren Jackson.
A deal to repeal House Bill 2 failed in December. Β This deal came after the Charlotte City Council rescinded its non-discrimination ordinance.
