By Rep. Paul Stam, Speaker Pro Tem
North Carolina House of Representatives
June 9, 2016
The narrative of the mass media is that HB 2, (Session Law 2016-3, “Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act”) as a big change, an outrageous overreach which denies rights and is unenforceable. Let’s take these legends one by one and explain the law.
Legend 1: HB 2 was a big change in North Carolina law.
TRUTH: (with one exception discussed under Legend Number 5) HB 2 codified what had been the law in North Carolina for years, decades and, for the most part, centuries. It:
- Provides for single sex, multiple occupancy bathrooms and changing facilities in public buildings, public schools and public agencies (while allowing accommodations by single occupancy facilities and other exceptions) – please read it for yourselves. The Charlotte ordinance tried to set its policy throughout the city, even in private businesses (and even throughout the state for businesses contracting with Charlotte). There are an estimated 20,000 private entities in Charlotte that would have been affected. The new law sets common sense policy for government facilities but leaves private business free subject to laws concerning indecent exposure, to make reasonable accommodations.
Pursuant to 180 years of NC Constitutional (Art. II Sec. 24 9j0 & Art. VII Sec. 1) economic policy HB 2: Read the rest of this entry