RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – North Carolina Republican lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said late Wednesday that they have agreed on legislation to resolve a standoff over the state’s “bathroom bill” through a replacement measure that still restricts LGBT nondiscrimination protections.
GOP leaders announced the new legislation would be debated and voted on Thursday, but it was unclear whether there were enough House and Senate votes to pass it. And leaders of gay rights groups were incensed about the anticipated proposal and vowed political punishment for elected officials who support it.
Cooper, who ran successfully last fall on a platform that included repealing House Bill 2, said in a release that he supported the compromise.
“It’s not a perfect deal, but it repeals House Bill 2 and begins to repair our reputation,” he said.
The late-night work came as the NCAA has said North Carolina sites won’t be considered for championship events from 2018 to 2022 “absent any change” in the March 2016 law known as House Bill 2, which it views as discrimination. The NCAA said decisions would be made starting this week on events. North Carolina cities, schools and other groups have offered more than 130 bids for such events.