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Republican leaders speak out against governor's executive order

Republican leaders in Raleigh broke their silence Thursday afternoon, saying North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, "lies, breaks promises to North Carolinians,” to move on from the HB2 debate after the law's repeal.

Cooper signed an executive order Wednesday that provides new protections to North Carolina's LGBT community.

[PREVIOUS STORY: Cooper launches strategy to expand transgender protections]

The impact of the order is being interpreted differently by outside groups.

NC Values Coalition believes all levels of government, including the city of Charlotte and public schools across the state, need to comply with the executive order.

However, the order's language limits Cooper's action to state employees and vendors doing business with the state.

"He's done a flip-flop, but more than that, he's done a betrayal of the legislative leaders and of the people of this state because his executive order is now going to allow men into women showers and bathrooms," said Tami Fitzgerald, of NC Values Coalition.

Equality NC, which helped negotiate the executive order, believes its impact is narrow in scope.

"I think that it's a fantastic step in the right direction for North Carolina and I think that we can and should do more,” said Matt Hirschy, of Equality NC.

Opponents of the order said Cooper has hurt North Carolina and taken us right back into the bathroom debate.

"This is an attempt for them to keep this issue going until the next election cycle,” Fitzgerald said.

"This is very clearly not political,” Hirschy said. “We are very very clearly talking about people's lives."

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