Take Christian Action: Contact Gov. McCroy and NC Senate to call for special session
By Hunter Hines
Christian Action League
March 4, 2016
RALEIGH – Much has happened within one week of the Charlotte City Council’s decision to back a dangerous LGBT ordinance that adds “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” and “gender expression” to the Queen City’s non-discrimination law.
Speaker of the North Carolina House, Tim Moore (R-Cleveland), has called for a special session to address the measure. Candidate for Attorney General, Buck Newton (R-Wilson), with Senate President Pro-Tempore, Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), at his side during a press conference, called on the Attorney General, Roy Cooper (D), to defend the state against the unconstitutional ordinance. And Lieutenant Governor, Dan Forest (R) has stated that he will call for a special session of the Senate to deal with the ordinance, if 3/5ths of the state’s Senators agree that it’s needed.
Barring all common sense, the measure allows men to use women’s bathrooms, showers and locker rooms, putting both women and children in situations where they would be vulnerable to sexual predators. Law enforcement cannot police the ordinance because its premise is based on the subjective feelings individuals may have regarding their gender.
The ordinance also unfairly allows the government to force private businesses to promote ideas and participate in events, such as same-sex weddings, that conflict with their religious beliefs.
The ordinance is on schedule to take effect on April 1. Unless a special session is called, the General Assembly will not reconvene for the Short Session until April 25th. KeepNCSafe.org, a state-wide coalition of groups, including Civitas Institute, Civitas Center for Law and Freedom, the North Carolina Pastors Network, Concerned Women for America, the North Carolina Family Policy Council, the Christian Action League, as well as others, have joined to fight the madness and note that serious issues could happen because of the time gap:
- A woman or child could be sexually assaulted in a bathroom or locker room.
- Business owners will face fines $500 per day or possible jail time for violating the ordinance.
- Businesses across the state that contract with the City of Charlotte will be forced to adopt policies that violate their religious beliefs or else their contracts will be rescinded, causing them to lose significant income.
- The ordinance makes no exemptions for churches. Churches are also required to allow men to enter their women’s bathrooms, etc.
Speaker Tim Moore said that he had already received requests from more than 3/5ths of House members for a special session. “We understand that special sessions have a cost, but the North Carolina House is unwilling to put a price tag on public safety,” he told the Press.
In a letter to the state’s Attorney General Roy Cooper, state lawmakers, Senators Buck Newton, Warren Daniel (R-Burke), Shirley Randleman (R-Wilkes) and Phil Berger outlined their concerns, arguing the Charlotte ordinance legalizes conduct that would put North Carolinians elsewhere in the state in jail. They called upon Cooper to defend the state against an unconstitutional ordinance that fails to ensure municipalities follow the same laws as everyone else.
Cooper, who is also running for Governor of the state, says the ordinance should not be a priority for lawmakers.
In a press conference on Thursday, Newton said, “The City of Charlotte has turned a blind eye to the rule of law and common sense with this ordinance, and Roy Cooper is in lockstep with their thinking. Roy Cooper has repeatedly claimed he will enforce the state’s laws – even the ones he disagrees with. However, this is yet another example of him refusing to do his job and enforce North Carolina laws. Roy Cooper has the power and responsibility to stop this dangerous nonsense now, but he continues his pattern of failing to perform his constitutional duties.”
During the same press conference, Berger added, “Roy Cooper’s blind devotion to the politically correct agenda of Barack Obama, the ACLU, and the far left fringe of the Democratic Party – that grown men and young girls should use the same bathroom and middle school boys and girls should share a locker room – defies common sense and puts our children and families at risk.”
Dr. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, said he thought that Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest’s statement that if 3/5ths of Senate members wanted a special session he would call for one was a challenge. “I think the statement, which he made on Facebook, should be taken as encouragement for North Carolinians to call upon Senate members to act like the House has already done, before this egregious measure goes into effect on April 1st”,” said Dr. Creech.
“I hope people are paying attention,” said Dr. Creech. “If this is something you just don’t care about, let me tell you, in time, you will be made to care. Homosexual activism operates in an alternate reality – one that doesn’t deal realistically with numerous unchangeable facts of life – one of which is gender. Redefinition doesn’t change substance. A rose by any other name smells just as sweet. And a skunk by any other name stinks just as bad. Men thinking that they’re women or vice-versa doesn’t change what they really are and it’s exceedingly unrealistic, in fact it stinks, to require others by law to live in their alternate reality.”
Take Christian Action:
- Email or contact your state Senator and ask him or her to support the call for a special session. If you don’t know who represents you in the NC Senate, then go to Who Represents Me? on the General Assembly’s website and type in your address on the Senate map. It will give you your District number. Then type in your District’s number in the block for Senate below and it will give you his or her contact information.
- Call the office of Senate President Pro-Tempore, Phil Berger at 919.733.5708. Graciously ask that Senator Berger support the call for a special session.
- Call the office of Governor Pat McCrory at 919.814.2000 and kindly urge him to call for a special session.