Feb 26, 2016
Equality NC Responds to Calls for Special Session
RALEIGH, N.C. – Equality NC, North Carolina’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) advocacy organization, today calls for members of the General Assembly to reject Speaker Moore’s request for a special session to consider unnecessary legislation which would usurp local control from towns and cities after Charlotte City Council voted this week to add LGBT protections.
The General Assembly is already expected back in late April for its regular short session, and a special session less than two months before would be costly to the taxpayers of North Carolina.
“It is nothing short of shocking to hear Speaker Moore call for a special session just weeks before scheduled session at a cost to taxpayers, especially when this General Assembly seems to be unable to find necessary funding for schools and infrastructure in the Old North State,” said Chris Sgro, Executive Director of Equality NC. “Charlotte and other cities across the state have the right to pass protections for LGBT North Carolinians, and members of the General Assembly should know that as our elected representatives. This is another in a line of attacks on municipal control, and a supermajority of North Carolinians object to such intrusive action coming out of the GA. They want their elected city and local governments making city and local decisions.”
With so many other critical issues facing the state – economic development, infrastructure, and education, the Speaker has chosen to engage in divisive social issues via this costly session.
Speaker Moore has voiced “concern” over potential problems caused by the non-discrimination protection ordinance passed in Charlotte.
“Speaker Moore knows better. This is a purely political move. Similar protections have been passed in 250+ other cities and towns throughout the United States, including Myrtle Beach and Columbia, South Carolina. In some cities, these protective ordinances are decades old. There have not been any reported problems in other places, so it’s complete political theatre for the Speaker to call for this ‘emergency’ session. The voters of North Carolina will not forget this continued waste and overreach come November,” said Sgro.
ABOUT EQUALITY NC: Equality NC is a statewide organization working to secure equal rights and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender North Carolinians. For more information, please visit www.equalitync.org