DNC Slams NC GOP

Democratic Party Denounces North Carolina Republican Lawmakers for Stripping Right of Cities to Pass LGBT Nondiscrimination, Employment, and Minimum Wage Protections

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) Wednesday night issued a strongly-worded statement blasting Republicans in North Carolina for passing HB2, a wide-sweeping bill that voids all local LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances statewide. HB2 also removes the right of localities to pass minimum wage, employment discrimination, and nondiscrimination ordinances.

“When the Charlotte city council expanded protections for transgender people with a new ordinance last month, Republicans in the North Carolina state legislature were so disgusted that they announced they would take the unusual step of convening a special session today in order to block it,” the DNC said in a statement sent to NCRM.

“But for one of the most extreme legislatures in the country, dragging one city backwards wasn’t enough. Instead of destroying just one progressive ordinance in one city, the legislation they passed in today’s special session blocks all LGBT non-discrimination ordinances passed by any local government across the entire state, and protects businesses that discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity. But they didn’t stop there. State lawmakers took the opportunity to overreach even more by forbidding North Carolina cities from raising the minimum wage with living wage ordinances.”

RELATED: Pat McCrory Says He Signed the Broadest Anti-LGBT Bill in the Nation to Prevent Government Overreach

DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz called it “sadly unsurprising from a party that seems determined to stay stuck in the Stone Age on LGBT equality. From their refusal to accept marriage equality as the law of the land, to their disingenuous ‘free speech’ and ‘religious freedom’ justifications for discrimination, Republicans are hurting Americans who deserve the full and equal protection of the law. Now the same state lawmakers who pretend to love limited government are steamrolling over local officials just because they had the courage to stand up for transgender rights. Our friends in the LGBT community deserve better and so do all the people of North Carolina.”

 

EARLIER:

BREAKING: North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory to Sign Anti-LGBT Bill Immediately

BREAKING: North Carolina General Assembly Passes Sweeping Anti-LGBT Bill

BREAKING: North Carolina House Passes Bill Voiding All Local LGBT Nondiscrimination Ordinances

 

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