The ACLU is now suing the state of North Carolina over the HB2 Replacement, HB142, which was passed on March 30th, 2017.
Even though new new bill repealed HB2, House Bill 142 also reinstates two provisions that were key features of the controversial HB2, including:
– Leaving bathroom access regulations up to the state legislature.
– Preventing local governments from passing or amending their own nondiscrimination ordinances relating to private employment and public accommodation until December 2020, but places no restrictions on them after that date.
HB142 does not reinstate any aspect of HB2’s prohibition of local governments from setting rules for private contractors regarding minimum wage and worker benefits
North Carolina’s ACLU and Lambda Legal say that parts of the new House Bill 142 law is discriminatory, preventing cities and counties from passing additional protections for the LGBT community.
According to the ACLU, “this lawsuit challenges a sweeping North Carolina law, House Bill 2…and its replacement law, HB 142, which left many of the harms caused by HB 2 in place.”
James Esseks, director of the ACLU LGBT Project commented, “This is not a repeal of HB 2. Instead, they’re reinforcing the worst aspects of the law. North Carolina lawmakers should be ashamed of this backroom deal that continues to play politics with the lives of LGBT North Carolinians.”
Tami Fitzgerald, director of the NC Values Coalition, had some equally harsh words for the ACLU and their lawsuit, “The ACLU and the transgender people they represent won’t stop until they force little girls to shower with grown men, share bathrooms, and indulge their fantasy. We’ve already seen what this leads to in other states and in Target, where bathroom policies like this facilitate peeping and require women and girls to “just get over it” when it comes to men in their bathrooms and showers. This is insanity, and it defies common sense!”
What are you thoughts on HB2, HB142, and the ACLU’s lawsuit?