North Carolina Attorney General Roy
Cooper this week criticized Governor Pat McCrory's attempt to
minimize the fallout from passage of a controversial bill that
targets the LGBT community.
House Bill 2, approved last month
during a one-day special session, blocks cities from enacting
ordinances that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation
or gender identity and bars students attending public institutions
from using the bathroom that does not conform to their gender at
birth.
After widespread criticism of the law,
McCrory, a Republican, issued an executive order which he said was
needed to clarify misunderstandings about the law.
McCrory's order adds sexual orientation
and gender identity to the list of protected classes in state
government employment and “maintains common sense gender-specific
restroom and locker room facilities in government buildings and
schools.”
“Governor McCrory's executive order
is a day late and a veto short,” Cooper said in a statement.
“The sweeping nondiscrimination law
he signed has already cost North Carolina hundreds of jobs and
millions of dollars in revenue,” he added. “I'm glad Governor
McCrory has finally acknowledged the great damage his legislation has
done, but he needs to do more. The truth is, this executive order
doesn't change the fact that HB 2 has written discrimination into the
law.”
Cooper, who is vying to unseat McCrory,
has previously said he would not defend the law in court.
(Related: North
Carolina AG Roy Cooper won't defend anti-gay bill in court.)