NC Governor Cooper Floats New HB2 Repeal Plan

by William Teach | February 15, 2017 7:21 am

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Why, yes, they are still at it. It could have been done months ago, except Rory Cooper, now North Carolina governor, worked pre-election to make sure that all Democrats voted against any repeal of HB2

(WTVD[2]) North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper floated a new proposal for the repeal of House Bill 2 on Tuesday.

“February needs to be the month that we get this done or it may be too late,” said Governor Cooper.

HB2 requires people to use the restroom according to their biological sex listed on their birth certificate in government buildings, schools, and universities. The law also excludes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from anti-discrimination protections and blocks municipalities from adopting their own anti-discrimination and living wage rules.

Forgotten is the primary point of the legislation, namely that government cannot force private businesses and entities to change their bathrooms and showers and locker rooms and such to accommodate the gender confused. It was in direct response to the passage of a law in Charlotte by Democrats that did just that, and Charlotte had been warned to not do it. HB2 allows private businesses/entities to decide for themselves.

Cooper offered a three-part compromise.

1) Repeal HB2
2) Increase punishments for offenders who threaten safety or privacy in public restrooms or changing rooms
3) Mandate that local governments allow 30 days for public and General Assembly input before passing any anti-discrimination ordinances

Of course, as WRAL[3] reports, Cooper pulled an Obama, announcing he wants this done by forgetting to discuss it with the leaders of the NC General Assembly first. It’s like a typical Obama “so let it be written, so let it be done” move.

And one point of HB2 was that it didn’t penalize transgenders for using the bathrooms and such of the sex they identify with. HB2 was not about penalizing the gender confused: it was about telling NC government of all levels what they cannot do.

In a statement released later Tuesday, Senate Leader Phil Berger’s (R-Rockingham) office said Cooper’s news conference was the first they’d heard of the new proposal.

“…Given that Gov. Cooper’s refusal to enforce existing criminal trespass laws as attorney general was a major reason legislators were forced to pass HB2 in the first place, it is difficult to take seriously his pledge on ‘strengthening penalties.’ This proposal does nothing to address the basic privacy concerns of women and young girls who do not feel comfortable using the bathroom, undressing and showering in the presence of men…” Berger’s spokesperson Amy Auth wrote in part.

And Lt. Governor Dan Forest, a Republican, released a statement

Heterosexual men will be able to access women’s showers and bathrooms by simply posing as a transgender individual. They will be able to watch women and children shower, or shower next to them. As long as the man doesn’t touch them, assault them or film them, no legal protection would be afforded the offended woman or child. Nothing. As a husband and father of four, the concept of ‘Look But Don’t Touch’ as a meaningful response to HB2 is a sad commentary on how far the progressive movement and the elected officials beholden to it, will risk the safety of our people to achieve a radical social policy agenda.”

Cooper wants to put all the power in the hands of the municipalities, which is how this started in the first place.

In my mind, the best compromise would be to repeal all sections except those telling NC government that it cannot force the private sector to accommodate the gender confused and telling government that people need to use the bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms that accord with their biological sex, while continuing to have no penalties on the individual gender confused who use them, beyond already existing law.

Cooper’s “deal” will simply allow local government to enact laws which require compliance and higher costs to private entities, all to accommodate a tiny, tiny, tiny number of people who are gender confused, and will violate the privacy, at a minimum, of citizens, especially women and girls, who would prefer not having men in their bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms. And then this would lead to requirements that boys who think they’re girls on girls sports and competition teams, as we’ve seen in other states.

Seriously, though, this is what Cooper and the Democrats are concerned with: forcing men into the bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers of girls. But, then, previous governor Pat McCrory and the Republican General Assembly did leave Cooper with a state in pretty darned good shape.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove[4]. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach[5].