North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, a
Republican, on Wednesday signed a bill that blocks an LGBT
protections ordinance approved by Charlotte city leaders.
The ordinance prohibits discrimination
based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public
accommodations, vehicles for hire and government contracting and was
set to take effect on April 1.
Lawmakers called a one-day special
session at a cost of $42,000 to respond to the measure.
In announcing that he had signed House
Bill 2, McCrory, Charlotte's mayor for 14 years, repeated the claim
that the ordinance was needed to protect women and children.
“Ordinance defied common sense,
allowing men to use women's bathroom/locker room for instance.
That's why I signed bipartisan bill to stop it,” he tweeted.
The bill sailed through the House and
Senate, both of which are controlled by Republicans.
Democrats in the Senate refused to vote
on the measure, opting instead to hold a press conference as
Republicans approved the bill with a 32-0 vote.
House Bill 2 bars any city, town or
municipality from enacting a similar measure. The law also makes
North Carolina the first state in the nation to prohibit students in
public schools from using the bathroom that does not conform to their
gender at birth. Similar attempts in South Dakota and Tennessee
failed this legislative session.