Sen. Burr says it is time to roll back parts of HB2
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- North Carolina's senior U.S. Senator, Richard Burr, says the state should make changes to the controversial new law known as House Bill 2.
Sen. Burr says he supports most of the bill but takes issue with two components: one that strips people of their right to sue for discrimination at the state level, the other regarding the "bathroom portion" of the bill.
HB2 was designed to block a Charlotte non-discrimination ordinance, part of which allowed transgender people to use bathrooms and locker rooms of the gender they identify with. The state law requires people to use the restroom according to their biological sex listed on their birth certificate in government buildings, schools, and universities.
The law also excludes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from anti-discrimination protections and blocks municipalities from adopting their own anti-discrimination and living wage rules.
WATCH: ABC11's Steve Daniels explains HB2
"It's now time," Burr told ABC11 after a Raleigh event, "for the General Assembly to take the opportunity that if we can roll this back, that it's probably in the best interests of North Carolina."
Burr didn't elaborate on why but did criticize the city of Charlotte, saying it's also time for the Queen City to take responsibility for its role in the backlash since House Bill 2 was passed. "I think the legislature should go back and look at what they did, talk with Charlotte and figure out, as it relates to bathroom issue, there can be resolution. There didn't seem to be a problem before. Charlotte created the problem and the General Assembly further created a problem."
Read all ABC11 stories about HB2 here
The idea that Charlotte shares responsibility for what's happening in North Carolina is something critics take issue with. "Senator Burr is doing a bit of political posturing here," said Rep. Chris Sgro, a Greensboro Democrat that also heads up Equality NC. "Charlotte's ordinance mirrors a hundred-plus ordinances across the country that are best practices. No city has ever seen the NBA tournament or NCAA basketball or Paypal leave because they passed a comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance."
And while neither basketball tournament has been yanked from North Carolina, both leading organizations have made it clear they take issue with House Bill 2 as policy.
Sgro said there's a petition making its way around the legislature to force an up or down vote on repealing House Bill 2. He says 61 signatures are required to force a vote on the floor. They have about 30 signatures so far.
