There’s a new plan to repeal HB2. Will this one actually work?

Here we go again.

There’s another deal on the table to repeal House Bill 2 and, well, people on both sides have issues with it, according to an Observer report.

First, the deal.

The proposal comes from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who calls it a “common-sense compromise” to repeal the law. Reminder: House Bill 2 was the state’s way of saying “Oh hell no” to a Charlotte ordinance that extended protections to LGBT people and allowed transgender people to choose a bathroom based on their gender identity.

The new deal has three parts:

1. Full repeal of HB2.
2. Stricter penalties for bathroom and locker room crimes.
3. A requirement that cities notify lawmakers 30 days before they adopt any local nondiscrimination ordinance.

The deal seems like an attempt by Cooper to address HB2 supporters’ fears of people pretending to be the opposite sex and attacking women and children in bathrooms and locker rooms — even though “virtually no such attack has been recorded,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

It didn’t work: Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest said the deal “will create a state-sanctioned ‘Look But Don’t Touch’ policy in our bathrooms.”

Why this deal now?

Because the NCAA is expected to select venues for championship sites for the next six years soon, and if it decides to keep N.C. in timeout because of HB2 that could really hurt the state’s wallet. Cities and schools around the state have proposed 133 venues for those events with an estimated economic impact of $250 million.

This is the first repeal deal floated since that mess of a repeal attempt back in December.

The response?

Well … neither side really loves it.

You already heard from Forest, so here’s another Republican — state Sen. Phil Berger: “Given that Gov. Cooper’s refusal to enforce existing criminal trespass laws as attorney general was a major reason legislators were forced to pass HB2 in the first place, it is difficult to take seriously his pledge on ‘strengthening penalties.’”

And on the other side we’ve got Equality N.C. Executive Director Chris Sgro, an HB2 critic. He said the increased penalties and advance notice are unnecessary. “No member of the LGBT community is a risk to public safety in a public restroom or anywhere else, and that conversation is, frankly, a distraction from the real issue.”

So will this deal work?

Great question. In short: Who the hell knows? It’s unclear, really, whether this will lead to a real repeal effort in the state legislature. But based on the response from people on both sides, the chances for repeal don’t look great, despite the deadline pressure of the NCAA’s looming decision. 

Meanwhile, the NBA All-Star Game that moved from Charlotte because of HB2 will be played in New Orleans this weekend. That could’ve been us …

Photo: Chris Seward/News & Observer

This story was originally published February 14, 2017 at 8:22 PM with the headline "There’s a new plan to repeal HB2. Will this one actually work?."