MANY MEMBERS OF THE U.S. MILITARY RESIDE IN HAWAII.
MORE EVACUATIONS ORDERED.
PRES TRUMP DECLARES MAJOR DISASTER.
PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAWAII.
Post Sources: CBS News, Fox News, Youtube
***** Hawaii volcano spurs new evacuations on Big Island after lava fissure reported
Officials ordered more evacuations on Sunday for residents on Hawaii’s Big Island after a new lava fissure threatened to send bright orange lava spewing onto major highways and roads.
An 18th fissure caused by the Kilaueau volcano, that first erupted more than a week ago, was reported early Sunday morning, releasing steam and lava spatter west of Highway 132 along Hale Kamahina Loop Road in lower Puna, Hawaii County Civil Defense said. Residents living along that road have been ordered to evacuate.
Two community centers have been opened to shelter people and pets.
Hawaii officials have been on edge throughout the weekend as they monitored reports of two new breakouts around Leilani Estates that could prompt thousands more to evacuate in an instant. The region saw a two-day reprieve from volcanic activity, giving some residents hope until the three new weekend fissures.
The 16th fissure reported on Saturday broke out about a miles east of the Puna Geothermal Venture plant. The 17th one opened about 109 yards below.
A portion of Highway 132, between the “Y” interchange turning into Pohoiki Road and Four Corners, was shut down on Sunday, Hawaii News Now reported. Cracks along the highway have worsened in the last few days, with authorities fearing a 19th fissure can form. Residents have said they fear getting cut off when, not if, the major roadway gets shut down.
"I think everybody recognizes that the lava outbreak is purely unpredictable," resident David Ellis told Hawaii News Now. "I think our greatest danger is being cut off when Highway 132 is closed, and that should be soon, from everything that I hear."
"We assume the worst, and hope for the best," Ellis added.
Tina Neal, USGS scientist-in-charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said the volcano is still “highly active.” The volcano could spew out “hotter, fresher” magma, destroying everything in its path. At least 36 structures, including 27 homes, have been destroyed since the eruptions began. The lave has covered more than 17 acres of land.
"The situation remains unstable. Additional outbreaks of lava are likely."
The new developments over the weekend also prompted the U.S. Geological Survey to warn of possible more disaster to come. Experts are eyeing volcanic peaks on America’s West Coast, part of the geologically active Pacific “Ring of Fire.”
The West Coast is home to an 800-mile chain of 13 volcanoes, from Washington state's Mount Baker to California's Lassen Peak. They include Mount St. Helens, whose spectacular 1980 eruption in the Pacific Northwest killed dozens of people and sent volcanic ash across the country, and massive Mount Rainier, which towers above the Seattle metro area.
"There's lots of anxiety out there," said Liz Westby, geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash. "They see destruction, and people get nervous."
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is threatening to blow its top in the coming days or weeks. Scientists say there’s not definitive answer on when the volcanic activity will end.
Geologists warn that Kilauea's summit could have an explosive steam eruption that would hurl rocks and ash miles into the sky.
Gov. Larry Hogan remains highly popular in Maryland, according to a new poll, despite being a Republican in an overwhelmingly blue state in an election year when Democrats hope to capitalize on opposition to President Trump.
Sixty-nine percent of Marylanders approve of the way Hogan is handling his job, an increase from 61 percent in February, according to a Goucher College poll released Tuesday. It’s his highest approval rating in the Goucher poll since fall 2016.
He receives praise across party lines: from 65 percent of registered Democrats, 64 percent of independents and 81 percent of Republicans.
Hogan is vying to become the second GOP governor in 60 years to be reelected in Maryland, where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans 2 to 1. He has tried hard to avoid a partisan label and has repeatedly distanced himself from Trump and Republicans in Congress.
So far, the strategy seems to have worked. Seventy percent of Marylanders disapprove of Trump, nearly the opposite of Hogan’s approval rating, according to the Goucher poll. But 47 percent of Marylanders polled say Hogan has distanced himself “about the right amount” from Trump. Twenty-seven percent say he’s distanced himself too little, and 9 percent say too much.
A 53 percent majority think the state is heading in the right direction; 28 percent say the state is on the wrong track.
“If I were Larry Hogan, I’d probably be doing somersaults,” Todd Eberly, a political scientist at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, said after looking at the poll results. “If there’s going to be a blue wave, I think Hogan is in the best position he could be in a Democratic state if you were going to withstand that wave.”
Mileah Kromer, director of the Goucher polling team, cautioned that there remain plenty of undecided voters and — with the wide-open Democratic gubernatorial primary still nine weeks away — a long road to November.
“What probably concerns them is the fact that approval isn’t necessarily the same thing as support for reelection,” Kromer said. “We’re really far out. It’s not like he can pack it in.”
If Hogan were pitted now against one of the contenders in June’s Democratic primary, between 44 and 47 percent of likely voters say they would choose Hogan, according to the poll. Between 22 and 27 percent of likely voters say they are undecided.
Hogan holds a 44 percent to 31 percent lead against Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, the Democratic front-runner in other recent polls. He leads by an identical margin against former NAACP president Ben Jealous, who narrowly trailed Baker and former Michelle Obama policy aide Krishanti Vignarajah in this weekend’s Western Maryland Democratic straw poll .
A February Mason-Dixon poll found Hogan leading Baker by 15 points in a general-election matchup, while a Gonzalez poll released in January gave Hogan a 10-point advantage.
The governor performed well in the Goucher poll on the question of whether Marylanders trust him or Democratic leaders on several specific issues. Fifty-five percent of Maryland adults say they have more confidence in Hogan to deal with the state’s budget and finances, vs. 28 percent who had more confidence in Democrats. He is more trusted on crime (48 percent to 32 percent), taxes (47 percent to 35 percent), economic development (49 percent to 35 percent) and transportation and infrastructure (45 percent to 36 percent).
Democrats have a double-digit advantage only on the environment (47 percent to 34 percent). They have a narrower edge on education (44 percent to 37 percent).
The poll revealed age and gender gaps that show that it is crucial for Democrats to get millennials and women to the polls.
Hogan has a 24-point advantage over Baker among likely voters age 55 and older, a higher-turnout group in a nonpresidential election year, when fewer than half of voters typically cast ballots. He trails his top Democratic rivals by roughly 20 points among likely voters under 35. Hogan leads by about 2 to 1 among men, but is tied with the Democrats among women, who made up 54 percent of voters in the 2014 gubernatorial election, according to the Census Bureau.
The Goucher poll was conducted April 14-19 among a random sample of 617 residents of Maryland, including landline and cellphone respondents. Full results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. The margin of error was 4.6 points among the subset of 449 likely voters.
Officials in North Carolina on Monday filed a lawsuit against the federal government in an effort to keep the state's controversial bathroom law in place, according to multiple reports.
The lawsuit comes after the Department of Justice (DOJ) told Gov. Pat McCrory (R) that the state's law — which requires transgender people to use the bathroom corresponding to their biological sex — violates the Civil Rights Act.
The DOJ ordered McCrory to respond by Monday to confirm "that the State will not comply with or implement HB2."
North Carolina's lawsuit against the federal government said the DOJ's position is "baseless and blatant overreach," NBC News reported.
"If the United States desires a new protected class under Title VII, it must seek such action by the United States Congress," the suit said.
McCrory said Sunday that the state was given an "unrealistic" deadline for response, adding that the federal government is "being a bully."
"They gave the ninth-largest state in the United States ... three working days to respond to a pretty complex letter and to a pretty big threat," McCrory said on "Fox News Sunday."
"We don't think three working days is enough to respond to such a threat."
The North Carolina law, condemned by LGBT rights supporters, also has provisions restricting local governments from enacting their own anti-discrimination legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
The DOJ announced that Attorney General Loretta Lynch will announce a "law enforcement action" connected to the state later Monday afternoon.
Gov. Pat McCrory defended North Carolina’s law on LGBT rights Sunday morning on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” but said the issue warrants further discussion and not overheated rhetoric.
The new law establishes a statewide nondiscrimination policy that excludes gender identity and sexual orientation as protected classes and forbids cities and counties from adopting their own policies. The governor said it wasn’t the state’s role to impose policies on the private sector.
But McCrory acknowledged that the issue of bathroom use by transgender people — which was the basis of the current controversy, following Charlotte’s attempt to allow choice according to gender identity, rather than physical sex at birth — needed to be addressed.
“We have to have more dialogue, not threats,” McCrory said.
Host Chuck Todd challenged McCrory on that point, noting that the General Assembly rushed a bill through in a single day in a hastily called special session and that the governor signed it into law that same night. “You guys debated for, like, 10 seconds,” Todd said.
McCrory said the speed was necessary to stop the Charlotte ordinance from going into effect on April 1.
“This is a national debate that has literally come on in the last three months,” McCrory said. “No one talked about it until Houston,” where voters rejected an ordinance expanding gay and transgender protections.
Todd said some of the same arguments on House Bill 2 were made by Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater in opposition to racial civil rights. “The same argument was used to defeat laws that are now considered untouchable,” Todd said.
McCrory said he didn’t know of any businesses in North Carolina that had discriminatory practices, and repeated, “This extremely new social norm came in a very quick time, and we need to have these discussions.”
Yet he only said the provision in HB2 that eliminated the ability to file employment discrimination lawsuits in state court should be repealed, not the bathroom provision.
Todd said NBC had estimated that North Carolina has lost $39.7 million to $186 million because of the law, and that others had estimated the loss in billions of dollars, due to companies and events not coming to the state in protest.
McCrory also said the national news media incorrectly have compared the law to religious freedom bills in Georgia and Mississippi, noting that last year he vetoed a bill that would have allowed magistrates to opt out of performing same-sex marriages.
“We haven’t had a religious freedom bill, because I’m governor,” he said.
McCrory said there is a disconnect between national corporations and everyday people.
“You know, I was in Hamlet, North Carolina, a small town that can be at any town in the United States of America,” he said. “I walked into a buffet restaurant, African American buffet restaurant, and the people just welcomed me with open arms and said, ‘Thanks for protecting us.’ I got back in my car, and I got a call from someone in corporate America going, ‘Man, you’ve got to change this. We’re getting killed.’”
Earlier in the program actor George Clooney called North Carolina’s law “ridiculous.” McCrory said Hollywood didn’t have a place in a serious discussion about the issue, and said the new Batman movie was being shown in China, which has a terrible human rights record.
McCrory’s appearance on national TV comes despite his lack of appearances in North Carolina. He has held only one brief news conference and one TV interview on the topic since signing the bill.
Soon after the TV show, McCrory’s campaign committee emailed a plea for contributions, saying the governor had just left the set, where he “defended North Carolina against the coordinated campaign of attacks and selective outrage from out-of-state special interests, the corporate elite and the national media.”
The campaign of attorney General Roy Cooper, who is running against McCrory for governor, sent out a response to the TV appearance: “Today Governor McCrory doubled down on his belief that businesses should be able to fire an employee for being gay,” spokesman Jamal Little said. “It’s that antiquated, discriminatory attitude that is driving businesses away and hurting our reputation.”
Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the national organization fighting to overturn HB2, issued his own reaction in an email:
“Today, a nation watched as Gov. McCrory invoked an outdated and retrograde argument to defend his decision to write discrimination into state law and deny equal treatment under the law for LGBT people. Pat McCrory can’t have it both ways and say he doesn’t want the government to tell the private sector what to do while he also sticks his head in the sand and ignores more than 160 businesses who have clearly said they want HB2 repealed.”
During “Meet the Press,” McCroy cited the Human Rights Campaign as an impediment to constructive conversation, calling them “more powerful than the NRA.”
“But they are putting on a lot of pressure, instead of having good dialogue,” he said.
An earlier version of this post inadvertently said McCrory called the new law government overreach. He was referring to the Charlotte ordinance.
The conflict over House Bill 2, the recently passed measure setting statewide discrimination standards, could reverberate into the fall general election, likely voters told a WRAL News poll.
Conducted by SurveyUSA exclusively for WRAL News, the poll found Republican Gov. Pat McCrory trailing Democratic challenger Roy Cooper 43 percent to 47 percent, with more than two-thirds of voters saying that a politician’s position on the bill will either “strongly” or “somewhat” influence their votes.
“Probably the past two weeks have taken a toll on McCrory, and he needs to hope for a short ‘short’ legislative session this summer so he can get into the summer and re-balance the political equation,” said Michael Bitzer, a professor of political science at Catawba College.
McCrory has defended the bill after signing it only hours after it passed the General Assembly on March 23. Cooper has labeled the bill “a disgrace” and refused to defend it in court.
“For both McCrory and Cooper, it’s a dynamic that probably both of them want to go away, except that it seems to energize their respective bases,” Bitzer said.
Both of the candidates have used House Bill 2 to raise money and have been regularly communicating with supporters about the bill.
The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, meaning that Cooper and McCrory are still in a statistical tie. However, the result is the reverse of a finding by liberal-leaning Public Policy Polling, which found McCrory leading Cooper by 2 percentage points just before lawmakers passed House Bill 2.
The WRAL News poll reflects a “significant” gender gap, Bitzer said, with Cooper leading McCrory among women 50 percent to 38 percent.
It’s unclear whether House Bill 2 played a role in Cooper’s overall lead on McCrory. The numbers of voters who said they approve or disapprove of McCrory’s job performance did not move significantly between a WRAL News poll released just before the March 15 primary and this week’s survey. However, Cooper’s approval rating climbed 18 points during the same time period.
Similarly, only 30 percent of respondents said they approve of the job the North Carolina General Assembly is doing, with 51 percent disapproving. Those numbers are about the same as a month ago.
Of respondents likely to cast ballots in November, 58 percent said a candidate’s position on House Bill 2 would strongly influence his or her vote, while another 24 percent said a candidate’s position would somewhat influence his or her vote. Only 14 percent said the bill would have no impact. Voters who identified themselves as strongly liberal or conservative were more likely to report that the measure would have a strong impact on their votes.
It’s one of those cultural issues that can get legs,” said Carter Wrenn, a veteran Republican political consultant. “It has landed in politics where it has gotten plenty muddied up, but it’s a cultural issue.”
Wrenn said it was typical for partisans to feel more strongly about an issue like House Bill 2. But 56 percent of voters who identified themselves as truly independent – leaning neither Republican nor Democratic – said it would also be on their minds when they go to the polls.
Gary Pearce, a longtime Democratic consultant, pointed out that the law has dominated newspaper headlines and local television news and has even been featured on national news programs.
“Here’s the one thing that is different right now – there’s an enormous amount of coverage. It dominates anything else in North Carolina politics. The question is, will that continue?” Pearce said.
If the intensity of news coverage slackens, he said, so will electoral passions with regard to the bill.
Event turns into a campaign rally for GOP governor, attorney general candidate
A counterprotest draws a few dozen
About 700 supporters of the new North Carolina law limiting LGBT protections against discrimination spread across the Capitol lawn Monday to cheer Gov. Pat McCrory and the law’s legislative champions.
Speakers repeatedly urged the crowd to applaud McCrory, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, legislative leaders and supportive lawmakers. They also had sharp rebukes for PayPal, the online payments company that canceled its plans to expand in Charlotte; for Bruce Springsteen, who canceled a Greensboro concert in protest; and for the businesses that have publicly opposed the law.
The rally focused only on the part of the law that nullified a Charlotte ordinance that would have allowed people to choose bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity.
The law, commonly called House Bill 2 or HB2, was needed to protect the privacy and safety of women and girls in bathrooms and locker rooms, supporters said. “Such an ordinance creates a loophole sexual predators can exploit,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League of North Carolina, as members of the crowd waved signs saying “Keep kids safe.”
There was no mention of the parts of the law that void municipal LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances, prevent municipalities from requiring contractors to pay workers more than the minimum wage and bar workers from filing discrimination lawsuits in state court.
Opposition to the bill is part of “a carefully manufactured campaign,” said John Rustin, head of the NC Family Policy Council.
The rally also drew about two dozen counter-protesters who stood across the street and whose chants could be heard in the rally crowd.
Some of the speeches steered directly into political campaign territory, underscoring the prominent role HB2 is already playing this election year.
Sen. Buck Newton, a Republican from Wilson and a candidate for state attorney general, had the crowd booing Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper, who is running for governor.
Cooper will not defend the law against a suit brought by the ACLU and others.
“Mr. Cooper time and time again has refused to defend you, the people of North Carolina,” Newton said, because “he’s too interested in running for office.”
Cooper has called for repealing the law.
“Because Governor McCrory has put his partisan political agenda above all else and signed House Bill 2 into law, our state is losing hundreds of good jobs and millions of dollars in revenue,” Cooper campaign spokesman Jamal Little said later Monday. “North Carolina is better than this. We need a governor who will attract jobs to our state and grow our economy, not promote a partisan agenda.”
Newton said his opponent in the attorney general’s race, Democrat Josh Stein of Raleigh, would be another Cooper.
“It’s time that we had an attorney general who will stand up and fight for the people of this state,” Newton said.
Contacted later Monday, Stein said he wants to be an attorney general who protects all people in the state. “The attorney general of North Carolina should protect all people from discrimination, not champion laws that promote it.”
Michael Lindsay of Raleigh, an opponent of the law, tried to stand with the rally crowd while holding a sign that said, “Rebranding North Carolina as a State of Hate.” He was led across the street by law enforcement.
Lindsay said later that the law “is about politics” and meant to create an issue that will appeal to the Republican base. But it is damaging the state’s brand, he said. “They’re chasing jobs away right and left right now,” he said.
Speakers repeated some common themes supporting HB2 — that it’s a common-sense law, that the media aren’t telling the truth about it, that corporations are bullying the state.
“I’m not concerned about political correctness,” said Bishop Patrick Wooden of the Upper Room Church of God in Christ in Raleigh. “Everybody knows that a transgendered woman is a man. And everybody knows that a transgendered man is a woman. And we have allowed common sense to go out of the window in the name of political correctness.”
Ron Baity, a Baptist preacher and head of Return America, said people who don’t know who they are should go to the library and get a book on anatomy.
“God made no mistake when he created us,” he said.
Support for the law springs from “a misunderstanding of transgender folks and of the LGBT community as a whole,” Justin Lee, executive director of the Gay Christian Network, said in an interview later.
“It is not my responsibility as a Christian to tell you how you should be living your life,” he said. “It is my responsibility as a Christian to live my life the way I believe God wants me to, and to show you grace, even if we disagree. I think that is where these Christians are dropping the ball, the ones that support HB2.”
Gov. Nathan Deal’s veto of the “religious liberty” bill Monday prompted a wave of support from business leaders – and fierce criticism from some of the measure’s staunchest supporters.
Here’s a taste:
~ Critics of the legislation:
The Metro Atlanta Chamber:
“We applaud Governor Deal for his courage in vetoing HB 757. In doing so, the Governor confirmed that there is no place in Georgia for legislation perceived as allowing for discrimination. His thoughtful deliberation and consideration on this issue has led to an outcome that preserves Georgia’s positive business climate, encourages job growth and sustains our quality of life, and is truly in the best interest of all Georgians. Governor Deal has made it clear that Georgians value both our rich faith traditions and our place as a global destination for businesses and visitors alike. We share his vision of Georgia as an inclusive, welcoming state and support his decision in this important debate.”
Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau president William Pate:
“ACVB thanks Governor Deal for his deliberate and swift action on HB 757. His decision will sustain Georgia’s position as the No. 1 state in which to do business and will benefit all Georgians for years to come.”
Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association executive director Jim Sprouse:
“The Georgia legislature acted in good faith trying to address constituent concerns. Now, Gov. Deal has stepped forward as a leader for all Georgians — as he has the last six years — deliberate and determined to make and keep Georgia the number one state to do business. Thank you, Gov. Deal, for your leadership.”
AT&T:
“Diversity and inclusion are important parts of AT&T’s culture and operations. We’re proud to be recognized as a leader in this area, and we applaud Governor Deal for keeping Georgia welcoming to all.”
Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta:
“It says something about the distance we have come and the progress with have made that so many established forces in our community pulled together to stop discrimination from taking hold. It tells me that the values advanced by Martin Luther King Jr. are still reverberating in our society today, especially in the state where he was born, and in some cases, those values have been embraced as the standard of human decency.”
Democratic operative Tharon Johnson:
“The Governor made a politically courageous decision that reaffirms the constitutional right of all citizens to be treated fairly and justly, and preserves Georgia’s long-standing commitment to economic growth and prosperity.”
Eric Tanenblatt, a longtime Republican operative in Georgia:
“Nathan Deal’s legacy as governor will be one of economic vibrancy. His veto action today is in keeping with that. Deal faced tremendous pressure from activists on both sides, but he rose above the fray to act in the interest of the entire state. Nathan Deal is a man of integrity and of faith, and one who believes in the proper constraints of a conservative limited government.”
~ Supporters of the legislation:
State Sen. Josh McKoon, a Columbus Republican:
“The question we have to resolve is whether or not government is going to be used to punish people with a particular point of view. I see that in my state. I fully expect we’ll be back next year debating this again.”
House Speaker David Ralston:
“I respect Governor Deal and the thoughtful consideration he brought to this discussion. I know his choice to veto this measure was not easy. HB 757, the Free Exercise Protection Act, was a good faith compromise measure which was the result of a lot of hard work and debate involving many interested parties of every perspective. I want to thank all who participated in this process, particularly Rep. Kevin Tanner.
I have shared many of the same concerns expressed by Governor Deal. That is why I have insisted throughout this entire debate that any measure we passed must not only protect the free exercise of religion and faith-based organizations, but also had to include clear anti-discriminatory language. I believed, and still do, that HB 757 met the test we shared.
It is regrettable that the merits of this measure have been ignored in the days since its passage by critics who had not taken the time to read the bill or understand the legal issues involved. I take pride in the leadership role the House played in making Georgia the number one state in which to do business. We all aspire to a Georgia which is welcoming, hospitable and growing. At the same time, we have a duty to the Georgians we serve — the Georgians who live, work, play and worship here — to listen to their concerns.”
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle:
“The Georgia General Assembly worked hard to find the right balance on this most challenging of issues. An important and legitimate concern has been largely lost in the hyperbole and criticism surrounding this debate: our state can and should take an active role in protecting the right of individuals to practice their faith without government interference. I’ve always advocated for Georgia’s status as the number one state to do business, but as we move forward I will never lose sight of the importance of an individual’s right to practice their faith. This principle will continue to guide my actions going forward.”
Dave Baker, executive director of Faith and Freedom Coalition of Georgia:
“This is unfortunate. This bill not only had the overwhelming support of both houses of the General Assembly but also the people of Georgia … This was a compromise bill, and we made sure it protected people of faith without discriminating against anyone. We think this is an unfortunate decision by the governor.”
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
“If Gov. Deal were honest, he would say that the pressure coming from the corporate elite was overwhelming and that it threatened to cause economic ruin to his state. Even men and women of faith could understand why he would veto the bill.
“Instead, he justified his veto saying, “I do not respond very well to insults or threats.” That is a lie—he responds very well to threats. Indeed, it is precisely the kinds of threats issued by the NFL, Disney, and Marvel Studios that made him cave: the NFL threatened to deny Atlanta a future Super Bowl, and Disney and Marvel threatened to relocate.”
1. Does the new bill limit or prohibit private sector companies from adopting their own nondiscrimination policies or practices?
Answer: No. Businesses are not limited by this bill. Private individuals, companies and universities can adopt new or keep existing nondiscrimination policies.
2. Does this bill take away existing protections for individuals in North Carolina?
Answer: No. In fact, for the first time in state history, this law establishes a statewide anti-discrimination policy in North Carolina which is tougher than the federal government’s. This also means that the law in North Carolina is not different when you go city to city.
3. Can businesses and private facilities still offer reasonable accommodations for transgender people, like single occupancy bathrooms for instance?
Answer: Yes. This bill allows and does nothing to prevent businesses, and public or private facilities from providing single use bathrooms.
4. Can private businesses, if they choose, continue to allow transgender individuals to use the bathroom, locker room or other facilities of the gender they identify with, or provide other accommodations?
Answer: Yes. That is the prerogative of private businesses under this new law. For instance, if a privately-owned sporting facility wants allow attendees of sporting events to use the restroom of their choice, or install unisex bathrooms, they can. The law neither requires nor prohibits them from doing so.
5. Does this law prohibit towns, cities or counties in North Carolina from setting their own nondiscrimination policies in employment that go beyond state law?
Answer: No. Town, cities and counties in North Carolina are still allowed to set stricter non-discrimination policies for their own employees if they choose.
6. Does this bill mean transgender people will always have to use the restroom of the sex of their birth, even if they have undergone a sex change?
Answer: No. This law simply says people must use the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificate. Anyone who has undergone a sex change can change their sex on their birth certificate.
7. I’m worried about how this new law affects transgender children or students in North Carolina. Does this bill allow bullying against transgender children in schools?
Answer: Absolutely not. North Carolina law specifically prohibits bullying and harassing behavior against children on the basis of sexual identity.
8. Does this bill affect people with disabilities?
Answer: No. Statewide law also bans discrimination based on disability.
9. Why did North Carolina pass this law in the first place?
Answer: The bill was passed after the Charlotte City Council voted to impose a regulation requiring businesses to allow a man into a women’s restroom, shower, or locker room if they choose. This ordinance would have eliminated the basic expectations of privacy people have when using the rest room by allowing people to use the restroom of their choice. This new local regulation brought up serious privacy concerns by parents, businesses and others across the state, as well as safety concerns that this new local rule could be used by people who would take advantage of this to do harm to others.
In fact, the Charlotte City Council tried to pass this ordinance before but failed, and passed the same ordinance in February of 2016 despite serious concerns from state officials, business leaders and other concerned citizens.
10. What about parents or caregivers bringing children into the restroom?
Answer: The law provides exceptions to young children accompanied by parents or care givers.
11. Will this bill threaten federal funding for public schools under Title IX?
Answer: No, according to a federal court which has looked at a similar issue.
12. Will this bill prevent people from receiving medical attention in an emergency.
Answer: Absolutely not. Nothing will prevent people from receiving medical attention in public or private accommodations.
13. Will this bill affect North Carolina’s ability to create or recruit jobs?
Answer: This bill does not affect companies in North Carolina. North Carolina was one of the top states to do business in the country before this law was passed, and preventing Charlotte’s bathroom ordinance from going into effect on April 1 won’t change that.
14. Why is the state telling cities and towns what it can and can’t do by repealing an ordinance the elected members of the Charlotte City Council passed?
Answer: North Carolina is one of at least 37 states like Virginia where cities and towns cannot pass rules or regulations that exceed the authority given to them by the state. In passing the bathroom ordinance, Charlotte was exceeding its authority and setting rules that had ramifications beyond the City of Charlotte. The legislature acted to address privacy and safety concerns if this ordinance was allowed to go into effect on April 1.
15. Do any other regulations in North Carolina cities, towns or counties come close to what Charlotte was recommending?
Answer: No. Not that we are aware of. Therefore, nothing changes in North Carolina cities, towns and counties, including in Charlotte, regarding discrimination practices and protections now that this law has passed.
16. Did only Republicans vote for this bill?
Answer: No. 11 Democrats voted for this bill in the N.C. House of Representatives and no Democratic Senators voted against it. In fact, Democratic Senators walked out to avoid voting on the issue at all because many were going to vote for it and they did not want show their division.
17. Why did the Legislature call a special session to overturn the bathroom ordinance?
Answer: The new Charlotte ordinance, which would have required all businesses to change their restroom policies and take away the expectation of privacy people have when using the restroom, was going to go into effect on April 1 if no action was taken.
18. Is North Carolina at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting jobs because it does not have ordinances like the one Charlotte was proposing?
Answer: No. In fact in the last 3 years without an ordinance like this, North Carolina has created the 6th most jobs in the country – over 260,000 net new jobs. We know of no examples of companies being recruited to North Carolina that have asked if the state has an ordinance like the one Charlotte was proposing
A proposal that codifies a statewide nondiscrimination policy in employment and public accommodations and prohibits North Carolina cities or towns from enacting stricter guidelines was signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory late Wednesday after clearing the General Assembly in less than nine hours.
"I have signed legislation passed by a bipartisan majority to stop this breach of basic privacy and etiquette which was to go into effect April 1," McCrory said in a statement. "Although other items included in this bill should have waited until regular session, this bill does not change existing rights under state or federal law.
"It is now time for the city of Charlotte elected officials and state elected officials to get back to working on the issues most important to our citizens."
All Democratic members of the Senate walked out of the chamber in protest Wednesday evening, leading to a 32-0 vote for the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act.
"This bill essentially ties a noose around the necks of the cities and counties, and it smothers their ability to govern in a way that their citizens think they ought to," Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue said as other Democrats left. "We're not participating in this effort that you make to roll back the clock in this state, to take away powers from local governments."
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger criticized the walkout. "Running out and ducking this vote is a serious breach of their duty to their constituents," he said.
On Wednesday afternoon, the House voted 84-24 in favor of the bill as state lawmakers rushed to push it through the General Assembly in a one-day special session.
"This is historic," said Rep. Dan Bishop, R-Mecklenburg, noting that North Carolina has never had a nondiscrimination statute.
The bill excludes gays and lesbians from discrimination protections, however, prompting an outcry from LGBT advocates, some corporations and Attorney General Roy Cooper, the Democratic candidate for governor.
Chris Sgro, executive director of Equality North Carolina, called it the "worst anti-LGBT bill in the entire nation."
"The bill tears away at the fabric of my community by overturning and pre-empting vital protections for gay and transgendered people," Sgro said. "He [McCrory] goes back on his word again by signing legislation coming out of an expensive and unnecessary special session."
"That the North Carolina legislature would convene a costly special session specifically to invalidate and prohibit the expansion of civil rights for LGBT people is disgraceful," Eric Wachter, associate regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement. "Equality, fairness and the desire to stand on the right side of history are reasons enough for legislators to reject this odious and discriminatory legislation."
"Discrimination is wrong, period. That North Carolina is putting discrimination into the law is shameful," Cooper said in a YouTube video posted by his campaign.
"Our commitment to the fair treatment of all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, has not changed and is at the core of our NCAA values," NCAA spokeswoman Gail Dent said. "It is our expectation that all people will be welcomed and treated with respect in cities that host our NCAA championships and events."
Greensboro and Charlotte are scheduled to host regional games in the NCAA men's basketball tournament in the next two years.
A similar religious rights measure is pending in Georgia, where corporations and even the NFL have said they'll avoid doing business in the state if it becomes law.
The North Carolina bill also doesn't include disabled people among the groups protected from discrimination, but Bishop said other state statutes already protect them.
Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake, tried to amend the bill so it included gays and lesbians among the protected groups, as well as veterans, but the Republican majority voted to table that suggestion.
The Senate Judiciary II Committee likewise tabled an attempt Wednesday evening by Sen. Terry Van Duyn, D-Buncombe, to add gender identity to the bill for protections against discrimination.
Bathroom debate prompted bill
The legislation is in response to an ordinance passed last month by the Charlotte City Council that broadly defines how businesses treat LGBT customers. The ordinance includes a provision that allows transgender people to use public bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity.
Social conservatives have railed against the Charlotte ordinance for weeks, saying it violates the religious freedom of business owners and puts women and children at risk by allowing sexual predators to go into women's bathrooms.
"If God didn't give you access to a male or female bathroom via your anatomy, neither should we give you access via either ordinance or legislation," John Amanchukwu, executive director of Upper Room Christian Academy in Raleigh, told members of the House Judiciary IV Committee on Wednesday morning.
Chloe Jefferson, a junior at Greenville Christian Academy, called the prospect of a boy in the girl's bathroom or locker room at her school "completely frightening," adding that dealing with body image is hard enough for teen girls without having boys around when they change clothes or go to the bathroom.
"I am not the only girl scared," Jefferson said.
Charlotte business owner Heather Garofalo encouraged lawmakers to outlaw local anti-discrimination ordinances, saying they threaten her religious right to choose not to serve LGBT customers.
"Business owners like myself, we would be forced to check our deepest-held beliefs at the door or suffer fines of $500, jail time, lawsuits," Garofalo said. "I am asking for a right to provide for my family."
But several transgender people pleaded with lawmakers to defeat the proposal, saying they are just as scared to go into bathrooms where they don't feel comfortable.
"I can't use the men's room. I won't go back to the men's room. It is unsafe for me there. People like me die there," said Madeleine Goss, a Raleigh woman who said she was bullied as a boy in Hickory because of her gender identity.
"I have the right to be safe too," a sobbing Angela Bridgeman told lawmakers.
"I feel bullied by you guys," Skye Thomson, a 15-year-old transgender boy from Greenville, told senators. "Imagine yourself in my shoes, being a boy walking into a ladies room. It's awkward and embarrassing and can actually be dangerous."
"Are you really interested in me being spit on and pushed around and shoved because of who I am in a restroom?" asked Rev. Michael Slack, a transgender man. "Legislating mistreatment, hatred and misunderstanding is shameful."
The bill would require people to use the bathroom that aligns with the gender listed on their birth certificate. Backers noted that North Carolina law allows people who have undergone a sex change to amend the gender on their birth certificates. California and Texas also allow people to amend their birth certificates, but it was unclear Wednesday whether other states had similar regulations.
"This is really not about bathrooms. It's about fear," said Rep. Rodney Moore, D-Mecklenburg. "The spirit of the bill is not what it says it intends to do."
Rep. Tricia Cotham, D-Mecklenburg, said the bill resorts to fear-mongering and "flies in the face of" attempts to move North Carolina forward.
"We must be a state that is inclusive and welcomes in North Carolina and protects everyone," Cotham said. "You are absolutely not protecting children, and you're not protecting women."
But Rep. Dean Arp, R-Union, said "prisoners have more privacy" than people in public bathrooms under the Charlotte ordinance.
"How compassionate is it to strip North Carolina citizens of their right to privacy?" Arp said.
Cotham was able to amend the bill to allow parents or caregivers to take children under age 7 into a public bathroom with them, regardless of gender.
Lawmakers draw line on municipal power
In addition to voiding the bathroom provision of Charlotte's ordinance and spelling out state policy on discrimination in employment and public accommodations, the bill also would prohibit cities and counties from adopting so-called living wage ordinances because that would require businesses to pay workers more than the state-established minimum wage.
Bishop and other supporters said North Carolina needs consistent regulations for business and that Charlotte overstepped its authority by passing its ordinance.
"This is not new law," Bishop said. "It's a clarification."
His characterization of the Charlotte City Council as "a handful of radicals under the influence of an activist group" and the ordinance as "the picture of the subversion of the rule of law" drew sharp rebukes from House Democrats.
"Government is best when handled at the lowest level possible," said Rep. Marvin Lucas, D-Cumberland, who called the bill "micromanaging."
"Even the authority you have given them in the past, you have taken away from them," said Rep. Mickey Michaux, D-Durham, noting the General Assembly has stripped cities of power several times in recent years.
Reps. Mike Hager, R-Rutherford, and Nelson Dollar said the legislature needs to act when Charlotte or another jurisdiction oversteps its authority.
"These cities and counties, especially in this case, have operated outside their boundaries, and they're into the boundaries of the state," Hager said.
"We do not need any municipal government acting outside of its appropriate authority, particularly when they are seeking to make political statements," Dollar said.
Other issues raised
Opponents to the bill also argued that not prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity could put $4 billion in federal education funding to the state at risk under the Title IX gender equity law.
Similar legislation has been defeated in Tennessee and South Dakota because of such concerns, but Republicans in the General Assembly argued Title IX has exemptions that would preclude any loss of funds to North Carolina.
Democrats also questioned whether the bill would eliminate some protections for wrongful termination claims by fired workers. Republicans disagreed on whether that was the case, with some saying it didn't and others saying people were better off filing a federal lawsuit anyway.
"A rushed process leads to mistakes, leads to omissions," Martin cautioned his fellow House members.
Under the bill, discrimination complaints would be handled by the state Human Relations Commission, but some Democrats pointed out that Republicans gutted the commission's budget last summer, which would render it ineffective.
Legislation becomes campaign issue
Lawmakers called themselves into session on Tuesday after McCrory declined to do so. McCrory said he thought the issue could be addressed during the regular 2016 legislative session, which starts April 25, but legislative leaders wanted to pre-empt the Charlotte ordinance, which is scheduled to take effect April 1.
Cooper said McCrory sparked the debate by publicly denouncing the ordinance shortly after it passed.
"Gov. McCrory got us started down this path by promising legislative action for political gain," he said. "The governor lit the match and then stood aside as the fire grew out of control."
McCrory's campaign responded by accusing Cooper of not doing his job in fighting the ordinance himself.
"Roy Cooper supports forcing women and young girls to use the same restrooms and locker rooms as grown men, all in the name of political correctness, and he refused to act as attorney general to protect our privacy and defend our state's laws," Russell Peck, McCrory's campaign manager, said in a statement.
Berger and Sen. Buck Newton, R-Wilson, the Republican candidate for attorney general, also criticized Cooper for his inaction on the Charlotte ordinance, which Newton called "a radical and dangerous policy."
"Frankly, if the attorney general would do his job, we wouldn't be here today," Newton said. "It would be easy for him to put a stop to this."
The Attorney General's Office has said no action is necessary because cases of indecent exposure and sexual assault can already be prosecuted under state law.
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