[JURIST] The North Carolina General Assembly [official website] adjourned for the year on Friday after making only minor changes to the state’s highly criticized House Bill 2 [materials]. Legislators altered [CBS report] the original law by restoring the right to sue in state court for discriminatory employment discrimination. The legislators, however, expressed no intention to change the controversial provisions that have been publicly criticized for restricting the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Republican leaders have continued to support the law’s requirement that transgender people use restrooms and changing facilities corresponding to their birth certificate gender. Senate leader Phil Berger [official profile] has reiterated that the restriction is vital for the safety and privacy of other facility users. The NBA has threatened to move the All-Star game out of the state in response to HB 2. While some state Democrats expect that legislators might need to hold a special session to prevent the loss of business, House Speaker Tim Moore [official profile] has expressed his hopes that the law’s revisions will appease its critics. The revisions will be reviewed by Governor Pat McCrory [official profile] who has been one of the bill’s strongest promoters.

North Carolina’s stance on LGBT rights has been a topic of national controversy. In April, McCrory issued an executive order [JURIST report] to clarify HB 2 in response to significant backlash. In March North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper stated during a press conference that he would not defend [JURIST report] the law, which he considers to be discriminatory against the LGBT community. Earlier that week North Carolina individuals and civil rights groups filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] against McCrory, claiming that the bill he signed one week prior was unconstitutional and discriminatory. Earlier that month McCrory signed the bill into law [JURIST report], preventing local governments from enacting their own nondiscrimination ordinances and making them unable to pass laws allowing transgender people to use the public restroom or locker room that corresponds with their gender identity.