A few minutes ago, this sham of an HB 2 repeal “deal,” which has the blessing of both Governor Cooper and the man he beat in November, passed the Senate on a 32–16 vote.


If you’re having trouble making that out, the Democratic noes were: Jay Chaudhuri of Wake; Don Davis of Greene, Lenoir, Pitt, and Wayne; Valerie Foushee of Chatham and Orange; Jeff Jackson of Mecklenburg; Floyd McKissick of Durham and Granville; and Mike Woodard of Durham, Caswell, and Person.

The other Democrats, like Cooper, seem to have misplaced their spines—if they ever had spines to begin with.

(There were ten Republican nays as well, though these mostly seem to be of the “HB 2 is just fine” variety. Interestingly, Chad Barefoot—the son-in-law of Tami Fitzgerald, the head of the N.C. Values Coalition, which came out against the repeal on Twitter an hour ago—had an excused absence and didn’t vote.)

While there’s still time for Cooper to make good on his campaign promise and veto this thing, his friends (or perhaps “former friends”) are already piling on, calling him a “sellout” and a “one-term governor.” It’s not even noon.

First, from the ACLU:

But let us be clear – this is no compromise. This is no repeal. This is HB2.0 and is perhaps more insidious in its targeting of LGBTQ – and particularly of trans and gender non-conforming – people. It is a backroom deal that shows no input from the community, that shows no leadership from lawmakers, that shows a callous disregard for the basic humanity of the trans and gender non-conforming people that call North Carolina home.

The bill does repeal HB2, but it just replaces it with prohibitions on local government entities (including cities, towns, schools) from extending legal protections to LGBT people until 2020 and bans on protections for transgender individuals in restrooms and other single-sex spaces forever. The bill makes it illegal to protect people from discrimination. And worse still, it does so under a claimed interest in protecting “bathroom safety and privacy.”

Some more from the ACLU:

Here’s state Representative Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford.
The Human Rights Campaign:

And, this evening, the Air Horn Orchestra—the brain child of former INDY managing editor Grayson Haver Currin and his partner-in-activism Tina Haver Currin—will be back in action, dusting off the airhorns once reserved for former governor Pat McCrory at six p.m. tonight outside the Executive Mansion.
Hope you and the fam have earplugs, Roy. You’re going to need them.