trasgender bathrooms

There's a recent precedent for the fight in North Carolina over a controversial law that limits rights for the LGBT community. Last year in Indiana, Republican lawmakers passed a bill allowing businesses to use religion as a defense in refusing to serve gay and lesbian customers. But after a swift national outcry, Indiana walked back the law. In North Carolina, the outcry has been similar but the state's response is completely different.

The fight over House Bill 2 has moved from business boycotts and the court of public opinion to federal court.

On Monday, Governor Pat McCrory filed a federal suit against the U.S. Justice Department. The Republican leaders of the General Assembly filed their own suit against the DOJ shortly afterwards. In response, the DOJ filed its own suit against the state.

North Carolina Republicans began gathering in Greensboro Friday for their 2016 State Convention.

These are normally events where people rally around candidates, platforms and their party. This year, in this state however, it was also a chance for party faithful to show defiance against the Federal Government.

The U.S. Justice Department has determined North Carolina’s House Bill 2 violates the Federal Civil Rights Act by discriminating against transgender individuals. It’s given the state until close of business Monday to confirm "the state will not comply with or implement House Bill 2."

On this episode of the WUNCPolitics Podcast we look at the political will and strategizing surrounding HB2. Will voters get a chance to vote on an HB2 referendum this fall? And a conversation about how North Carolina’s “hybrid” General Assembly – made up of part-time lawmakers - compares to other states, and how that drives who serves as legislators and what kinds of issues they are most likely to take up.

A powerful Senate Republican floated the idea of letting voters decide the fate of House Bill 2, while lawmakers began the protracted budget debate in Raleigh on Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of Education John King spoke out against North Carolina's controversial new law limiting bathroom access in public schools.

At a conference for education writers in Boston, King called the law known as HB 2 and a similar law in Mississippi "hateful," and said lawmakers should repeal it.

It was a bustling first day back at the General Assembly with multiple protests, a national media presence, and legislative efforts to reverse a controversial measure that was passed last month during a special session.

Lawmakers from across the state convened in Raleigh Monday for the start of the short legislative session. Policymakers are tasked primarily with reworking the budget during odd-year sessions, however, with the spotlight on the state's new so called "bathroom bill" the fiscal agenda is not the top story on Jones St.

The state legislature begins its short session today. Regardless of the official calendar, the issue on many people’s minds is North Carolina’s new law limiting discrimination protections.  Local business groups are calling for its repeal.

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has weighed in against North Carolina's controversial discrimination law.

A few days before a nearly sold out show in Greensboro, North Carolina Bruce Springsteen canceled in protest of House Bill 2. Cirque Du Soleil, the rock group Boston and Pearl Jam have also canceled shows in opposition the law.

WFAE’s Arts and Culture Reporter Sarah Delia has this rundown of some other reactions in the arts community. 

 State Senate Leader Phil Berger says he doesn’t envision any changes to House Bill 2 during the short session that begins Monday, including one revision requested by Gov. Pat McCrory. He also said he’ll push for a 2 percent state budget increase, including another round of teacher raises. 

A federal appeals court ruling Tuesday in a Virginia case is casting doubt on the legality of one part of North Carolina’s controversial new law: requiring students to use the bathroom corresponding to the gender on their birth certificate.

One of the largest groups most affected by House Bill 2, or HB2,  is the state’s public school students. More than a million North Carolina students spend most of their day in facilities where they are now prohibited from using restrooms that do not correspond to the sex listed on their birth certificates. This new law presents problems for the state's transgender students and conflicts with several school districts’ practice of allowing students to use the restrooms that correspond to their gender identity.

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory appeared on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday to defend House Bill 2.  The controversial law has drawn wide condemnation in the corporate world, boycotts from artists, and travel bans from elected officials.  McCrory signed the bill hours after passage during a one-day special session to overturn a Charlotte ordinance that, among other things, allowed transgender people to use the restroom matching their gender identity.  But HB2 went far beyond, banning cities and towns from adopting their own non-discrimination ordinances, excluding LGBT protections in a s