North Carolina Governor-Elect Roy Cooper - North Carolina Governor-Elect Roy Cooper announced legislators have agreed to call a special session to repeal HB2.
North Carolina Governor-Elect Roy Cooper (Photo: thepoliticus.com)

North Carolina Governor-Elect Roy Cooper announced legislators have agreed to call a special session to repeal HB2.

Legislators will hold the special session this Tuesday. The news comes after the Charlotte City Council announced they have rescinded a sexual orientation and gender identity ordinance they passed back in February, which Republicans blame as the reason they created the controversial HB2 law. Charlotte overturned the ordinance by a vote of 10-0.

“I hope they will keep their word to me and with the help of Democrats in the legislature, HB2 will be repealed in full.”

“Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore assured me that as a result of Charlotte’s vote, a special session will be called for Tuesday to repeal HB 2 in full,” Cooper said in a statement. “I hope they will keep their word to me and with the help of Democrats in the legislature, HB2 will be repealed in full.” Outgoing Governor Pat McCrory who lost his re-election bid because of the controversial law, has also advised he will call the special session to consider repealing the law.

HB2 has been a massive failure for North Carolina as the state has lost countless jobs and funding due its anti-transgender focus. Cooper has been lobbying for the special session, and he was the one who prompted Charlotte to act in order to pave the way. It is Cooper’s belief that December would be the best chance to repeal the law before the new legislature takes over in January.

North Carolina citizens protesting HB2 Law
(Photo: CBSNews.com)

Though they are playing along, Republican legislators still used the moment to take a shot at Governor-Elect Cooper and Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts. “Today, Roy Cooper and Jennifer Roberts proved what we said was the case all along: their efforts to force men into women’s bathrooms and shower facilities was a political stunt to drive out-of-state money into the governor’s race,” the Republican leaders said. “For months, we’ve said if Charlotte would repeal its bathroom ordinance that created the problem, we would take up the repeal of HB2.” The Republican offer came at the end of September after McCrory dropped a federal lawsuit, which was filed to defend HB2. Many viewed the move as a stunt to get out of the controversial law without looking bad.

Though we appear to have seen the end of HB2 in North Carolina, Republicans are still leading efforts to add anti-transgender measures in other states.