State lawmakers put fight on hold against non-discrimination ordinance

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte's controversial anti-discrimination ordinance is making its way to Raleigh.

"We don't want to see this spread from Charlotte all around the state," North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said.

The ordinance bans discriminating against someone based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

According to Moore, lawmakers are addressing one of the most controversial parts of the ordinance. Many parents are concerned the law will make it easier for sexual predators to target kids. The ordinance allows anyone to use the restroom of the gender they identify as.

"There are certain things we learned in kindergarten and this absolutely makes no sense," Moore said.

Attorney General Roy Cooper, a Democratic candidate for governor, expressed support for the ordinance Tuesday. Cooper says lawmakers in Raleigh should focus on other issues.

In response, McCrory’s campaign manager Russell Peck issued the following response:

"An attorney general -- a state's top lawyer and chief law enforcement officer -- has a sworn obligation to promote public safety and represent the people above special interests. In supporting a radical special interest plan to open bathrooms and locker rooms to the opposite sex, Roy Cooper is failing families and children across North Carolina."

Moore said it's important for the ordinance to be discussed.

"This is a problem that was clearly created by Charlotte City Council so while we deal with the other things that are clearly priorities, we have to deal with this as well

The terms of the legislation are still being discussed. The law goes into effect April 1. Lawmakers go back for the short legislative session on April 25.

The state said it will wait to fight a controversial Charlotte non-discrimination ordinance until weeks after it takes effect.

Gov. Pat McCrory does not want to call a special session to address Charlotte's non-discrimination ordinance.

A special session was an option to address it with opposing legislation or put it on a ballot for voters to decide but the governor said they wouldn’t call lawmakers back to Raleigh.

"My preference would be to wait, from a cost standpoint," McCrory said.

It would cost taxpayers $42,000 a day to hold the special session.
 
"This would be one of those cases where legislation would oddly move very quickly versus what normally happens at the Legislature simply because the passions are so high on this issue," Rep. Jason Saine, R-Kings Mountain, said.

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