North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (photo: official Facebook)
North Carolina Governor Issues Executive Order Prohibiting LGBT Discrimination By State Agencies
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has signed an executive order that prohibits any state agency, or contractors who do business with the state, to discriminate against LGBTs.
The executive order adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s list of protected classes at least in terms of state agencies or those who do business with the state.
Cooper told the media, “By requiring companies that contract with the state to have non-discrimination policies, the state can promote protections for more North Carolinians outside of state government.”
Cooper is also proposing a settlement in the lawsuit challenging House Bill 2 and House Bill 142, the so-called bathroom bill and it’s repeal legislation.
The proposal would allow transgender citizens use of public restrooms and other facilities that match their gender identity.
A federal judge still has to sign off on that settlement.
North Carolina Governor Presents Plan To Repeal Anti-LGBT Law HB2
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| Gov. Roy Cooper |
Roy Cooper, the new governor of North Carolina, is not waiting for state Republicans to get around to repealing the hateful anti-LGBT law, HB2.
Today, in an op-ed for the Charlotte Observer, he presents his plan to get rid of the legislation and get his state back on track.
North Carolinians are tired of hearing about this. As I travel across the state, people from Murphy to Manteo tell me that they want their elected officials to come together to solve this problem before HB2 does even more damage.
We came close to repealing it in December. The Republican leadership in the legislature committed to repeal HB 2 if I persuaded the Charlotte City Council to repeal its nondiscrimination ordinance. I kept my commitment. They did not.
However, in order to break the log jam, I have proposed a common sense compromise that includes three parts:
▪ Repeal House Bill 2. It’s time to take this harmful law off the books immediately.
▪ Strengthen punishments for criminals who violate the safety, security and privacy of people in public bathrooms or dressing rooms. I believe this is a manufactured issue and it’s wrong to suggest LGBT individuals are a threat. But time and again, Republicans contend HB2 is about security and safety. This addresses those concerns and increases penalties for crimes committed against anyone in this setting while also removing discrimination against the LGBT community.
▪ Require local governments to give the legislature and the public a 30-day notice before passing new non-discrimination ordinances. Local governments are the closest to the people they represent, and I believe that they should be able to make these decisions on their own. This compromise ensures that there is time for input on new ordinances.
This common sense compromise addresses concerns from both sides. It is a path forward to bringing back businesses and sporting events. It is reasonable, and it will begin to wipe the stain off our state’s reputation.
I will continue working to repeal this damaging law and restoring a North Carolina that works for everyone, but Republican legislative leaders must do their part as well.
I urge Republican leaders to bring this proposal to a vote this week.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory Finally Concedes He Lost Reelection Bid
After weeks of stonewalling, North Carolina’s anti-LGBT Gov. Pat McCrory has conceded he lost his race for reelection to Democrat and current Attorney General Roy Cooper.
Reported as the closest governor’s race in North Carolina history, Cooper apparently won by a margin of 10,250 votes.
A divisive figure in North Carolina politics, McCrory’s loss can be credited to his support and passage of the state’s now infamously anti-LGBT legislation known as HB2.
The law stuck down all LGBT protections in the state by stating that, unless a certain class of people was officially recognized by the state, local municipalities could not enact their own protections.
This included barring transgender citizens from using public bathrooms which aligned with their gender identity.
HB2’s impact on North Carolina was vast with many corporations and events cancelled and moved to other states. The cost to the state has been estimated to be in the tens of millions.
Congratulations Governor-elect Roy Cooper!
JUST IN: North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory concedes gubernatorial race, calls for “smooth transition” to next administration.— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) December 5, 2016
#BREAKING North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory concedes he did not win re-election in last month’s election.— NPR (@NPR) December 5, 2016
Pat McCrory Finally Concedes To Winner In North Carolina Gubernatorial Racehttps://t.co/j7T41QwXml— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) December 5, 2016
In a video released by McCrory’s office he says, “I personally believe that the majority of our citizens have spoken. And we now should do everything we can to support the 75th Governor of North Carolina Roy Cooper.”
Anti-LGBT Gov. Pat McCrory Looks To Be Toast As Roy Cooper’s Lead Crosses 10K Threshold
It looks like anti-LGBT North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is going to need to face the reality that his days in the North Carolina state house are coming to an end.
And it couldn’t happen to a better guy. You’ll recall McCrory championed, signed and defended his state’s HB2, an anti-LGBT law which among other things prevents transgender folks from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.
Thanks to the law, the Tarheels state has lost millions in income as conventions, concerts and other events have cancelled over the discriminatory legislation.
Democratic challenger, state Attorney General Roy Cooper, refused to defend HB2, and currently has a lead of more than 10,000 votes in the race for the governorship.
Gov. McCrory Trails Dem Opponent By 5 In North Carolina Governor’s Race
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| North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory |
Republican Gov. Pat McCrory of North Carolina gets more bad news today via the latest PPP poll showing him trailing Attorney General Roy Cooper by 5 points, thanks in part to McCrory’s unwavering support of anti-LGBT law, HB2.
For the first time this entire cycle PPP finds a clear leader in the race to be North Carolina’s next Governor: Roy Cooper. Cooper’s at 46% to 41% for Pat McCrory, with Libertarian Lon Cecil at 2%. When undecideds and Cecil voters are asked who they’d pick if they had to choose between Cooper and McCrory, Cooper’s lead ticks up to 50/43.
McCrory continues to be unpopular, with only 41% of voters approving of him to 49% who disapprove. This makes 39 months in a row we’ve found his approval rating under water. Voters are generally having a positive reaction as they’ve become more familiar with Cooper, with 40% of voters rating him positively to 32% who have a negative opinion.
The story in this race is Cooper’s strength with independent voters. He leads McCrory 44-33 with them in the full field, and 50-34 with them in the head to head. By contrast, McCrory defeated Walter Dalton by a 2:1 margin with independents in 2012. But they have largely soured on him with now only 36% approving of him to 49% who disapprove.
HB2 is causing McCrory big trouble as well. By a 20 point margin voters want to see it repealed- just 32% support keeping it on the books, to 52% who think it should be overturned. Among pivotal independent voters, there’s 56/29 support for repeal. There may be one simple reason HB2 is so unpopular – it’s a bill targeting LGBT people, yet only 19% of North Carolinians say they have a negative opinion of LGBT people, to 47% with a positive one and 34% who are indifferent. A bill cutting the rights of a group of people that only a small slice of the electorate has a problem with isn’t going to be very popular.
I have to comment on the “only 19% of North Carolinians say they have a negative opinion of LGBT people.” Isn’t it sad that almost one in five people in the state views LGBTs negatively and that can be characterized as “only?”
North Carolina Attorney General Won’t Defend Anti-LGBT H.B. 2
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| NC Attorney General Roy Cooper Photo credit: U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Mindy Bloem |
From The Washington Blade:
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper announced on Tuesday he won’t defend in court the recently enacted measure in his state that’s considered the worst anti-LGBT law in the nation.
Cooper, a Democrat who’s running to become the state’s governor, declared he won’t defend House Bill 2 in court at an 11 am news conference at his office in Raleigh.
“Over the last 15 years, our office has defended the state, its officials and agencies when they’ve been sued,” Cooper said. “Our office will continue to do that, except it will not defend the constitutionality of the discrimination in House Bill 2.”
House Bill 2, signed into law last week by Gov. Pat McCrory after an emergency session of the state legislature, undos all pro-LGBT city ordinances in North Carolina, including the recently approved measure in Charlotte, and prohibits transgender people from using public restrooms consistent with their gender identity in schools and government buildings.