Breaking: North Carolina GOP Lawmakers Drafting New HB2 ‘Fix’ After Pressure From NBA

‘Fix’ Does Not Go Far Enough

North Carolina House Republicans are reportedly drafting new legislation to amend HB2, amid pressure from the NBA which could move the 2017 All-Star Game out of state. HB2 is a virulently anti-LGBT bill that experts have deemed unconstitutional, which in addition to banning transgender people from using public restrooms that correspond with their gender identity, remove local control over minimum wage and employment discrimination ordinances.

The possible new bill would, as WBTV first reported, create “an official document that would recognize a person’s gender reassignment. The new document, which is treated as the equivalent as a birth certificate in the draft legislation, is referred to as a certificate of sex reassignment.”

A portion of the draft bill reportedly reads:

“An individual who (i) was born in another state or territory of the United States that does not provide a mechanism for amending a current certificate of birth or issuing a new certificate of birth to change the sex of an individual following sex reassignment surgery and (ii) resides in this State at the time of the written application may request a certificate of sex reassignment from the State Registrar,” the legislation reads. “The State Registrar shall issue a certificate of sex reassignment upon a written application from an individual accompanied by a notarized statement from the physician who performed the sex reassignment surgery or from a physician licensed to practice medicine who has examined the individual and can certify that the person has undergone sex reassignment surgery.”

It would appear that only transgender people who have completed “sex reassignment surgery,” as it is described, would be considered transgender and entitled to “a certificate of sex reassignment.” 

“The draft bill,” WBTV adds, “also amends portions of HB2 related to protections for employees by adding specific references to federal statutes that provide special protections for certain groups of people. Other changes in the draft legislation increase the penalties for suspects convicted of committing certain offenses in a multi-person bathroom or changing facility.”

The draft bill also amends portions of HB2 related to protections for employees by adding specific references to federal statutes that provide special protections for certain groups of people. Other changes in the draft legislation increase the penalties for suspects convicted of committing certain offenses in a multi-person bathroom or changing facility.

“The draft legislation is the result of months of conversations between leadership in the state legislature, including the Speaker’s office, and officials from the NBA,” WBTV adds, noting House Speaker Tim Moore (photo) has not responded to inquiries.

But one of North Carolina’s top political reporters, Colin Campbell of The News & Observer, offered this via Twitter:

More via Twitter:

 

UPDATE I: 1:53 PM EDT –
Chris Sgro, the Executive Director of Equality North Carolina and a North Carolina State Representative just posted this tweet denouncing the “fix,” and noting the end of the session (sine die) is fast approaching:

 

 

This is a breaking news and developing story. Details may change. This story will be updated, and NCRM will likely publish follow-up stories on this news. Stay tuned and refresh for updates.