The following is a statement from Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy NC:
Democracy North Carolina joins the growing chorus of state and national opposition to House Bill 2 and demands the N.C. General Assembly use its upcoming short session to repeal this law, which once again puts politics above people.
Similar to North Carolina’s “Monster Voting Law” (HB589), which used fear tactics to roll back voting rights, HB2 uses fear tactics to roll back protections against discrimination and for pay equity. Both laws represent attacks on democracy that impact all North Carolinians.
Embracing terms like “common sense” and “voter integrity,” proponents of the 2013 Monster Voting Law used the myth of rampant voter fraud to pass the most regressive voting law in the country, yet they never presented a single case of a voter impersonating someone else. We know now the ID rhetoric was a smokescreen for a sweeping measure that cut early voting, ended same day voter registration, funneled more corporate money into our state’s elections, and targeted poor, young and African-American voters. In just two election cycles, we’ve documented how little North Carolinians understood the impact of this far-reaching law, and how its provisions have harmed and disenfranchised thousands of voters, including many who thought the law would never impact them.
Like the voter suppression bill, HB2 is a cynical and divisive assault on the civil rights and self-determination of all North Carolinians. Both bills relied on a single red herring and swift passage to cover up sweeping policy changes that would have faced closer examination with a lengthier floor debate, wider media scrutiny, and genuine public discussion.
House Bill 2 uses the inflammatory slogan of “men using women’s bathrooms” as cover for a law that takes power from voters and the people they elect. The truth is that transgender women have used women’s restrooms for years; the only safety problem has come when they use the men’s bathroom and get attacked. Providing safety is at the heart of Charlotte’s new policy, but scary rhetoric can distract and deceive.
Not only does HB2 overturn local policies that protect lesbian, gay, and transgender people, it also nullifies local employment ordinances governing wages, benefits, employee protections and leave policies. It preempts local anti-discrimination policies and enforcement tools that protected everyone regardless of race, national origin, age, disability, gender or religion. In addition, this unprecedented control over local laws prevents workers from making discrimination claims in state courts.
This new “Monster Law” denies North Carolinians and local elected leaders the ability to shape their communities and its values. And just as our state’s so-called “voter ID” legislation was a solution in search of a problem, this deceptively-titled “bathroom bill” uses myths to manufacture support for a law that could disenfranchise any or all of us.
In short, HB2 means you: targeting transgender people trying to use the bathroom as they always have, pregnant mothers seeking much-needed family leave, veterans wanting the freedom from being fired, and all North Carolinians looking for living wages beyond what the state chooses to offer, just to name a few.
Both of these “Monster Laws” are an unconstitutional attack on the fundamental equality of North Carolinians, and like HB589, HB2 is sure to face harsh scrutiny in court. Until then, we’ll stand with North Carolinians fighting for a full repeal of HB2 and remind everyone that who gets elected by your votes – or by your failure to vote – has real consequences for you and your community.
Leave A Comment