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Gym owners push NC lawmakers to override veto to reopen facilities

NORTH CAROLINA — Hundreds of gym owners, members and employees from across the state are heading to the North Carolina capitol Wednesday.

They are calling on lawmakers to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill to reopen their facilities.

Recently, the owner of Orange Theory on South Boulevard told Channel 9 they have been waiting for more direction from the governor on when to reopen. Now, the company is part of a coalition of gyms pushing to reopen across the state.

The majority of gyms in North Carolina have been closed for 90 days.

The coalition says the closure has left 45,000 people out of work and 2.5 million people without their workout routines.

One exception was made -- the attorney general’s office did allow a small number to open for medical reasons.

Friday, Cooper vetoed a bill that would have reopened gyms statewide. Wednesday, lawmakers will vote to override that veto so facilities can reopen. It includes a 14-step plan to safely reopen.

Other gyms pushing to reopen include Crunch, O2 Fitness, Planet Fitness and TruGym.