North Carolina Lawmakers Vote To Repeal Trans Bathroom Law

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By Amber Randall

North Carolina state legislatures voted to repeal their bathroom law Thursday afternoon, ending a lengthy fight on the issue.

The repeal passed the state House by a 32-16 vote while the state Senate approved it by a 70-48 Thursday afternoon, reports NBC News. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to sign the bill when it comes to his desk.

The old bathroom law, HB2, prevented transgenders from using the bathroom of their choice. Former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory supported the measure, but ended up losing his seat to Cooper in the 2016 gubernatorial election in a tight election.

Under the repeal, HB142, the former bathroom law is rolled back. However, the North Carolina state government will still be allowed to regulate multi-stall public bathrooms, and city governments are prevented from passing discrimination laws for sexual orientation until December 2020 under the new bill.

Gay activists expressed displeasure with the repeal when state legislators first announced they had finally reached a compromise. Many said it would allow for more discrimination against the gay community.

“Make no mistake: This newest #HB2 proposal is a bad deal that does not actually #RepealHB2. Instead, it doubles-down on discrimination,” the Human Rights Campaign tweeted early Thursday morning.