RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina legislators failed to repeal the state’s “bathroom bill” on Wednesday during a special session called for that purpose.
People in the gallery chanted “shame” as the gavel came down about 7:30 p.m. and lawmakers headed home. They’ll adjourn again January 11 for a regular session of the General Assembly, at which time they might discuss repeal again.
For now, House Bill 2 stands as the law in North Carolina.
Signed by the governor in March, HB2 bans people from using public bathrooms that don’t correspond to their biological sex as listed on their birth certificates. Backlash against HB2 caused huge economic losses for the state, such as businesses canceling plans to expand and the NBA moving its all-star game from Charlotte to another city.
Accusations about what happened broke down along party lines.
