Friday, March 24, 2017
Another HB2 repeal proposal comes to the legislature from a candidate for Charlotte mayor as the controversial law turns one-year old. And state Republican lawmakers play roles in moving the heath care bill through Congress. Mike Collins and a roundtable of reporters review the week's news.
The first anniversary of House Bill 2 is marked by, what else, another repeal proposal, this one from Charlotte state senator and mayoral candidate Joel Ford, who’s been a target of LGBT criticism. Ford, a Democrat, wants to roll back the controversial law and establish a "cooling off" period before cities could enact "bathroom laws." Gov. Roy Cooper said he could support a repeal with "some type of short, definite moratorium," but will Republican legislative leaders get behind a compromise?
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is pulled into the LGBT fray over an anti-bullying lesson plan that included a book about a boy who dresses as a girl. The book was supposed to be read in four elementary schools, but the book has been pulled because of fears that the state legislature would get involved. Meanwhile, the school board will hold a public hearing next week over a proposal to add gender identity and sexual orientation to the district’s multiculturalism policy.
Two North Carolina Republican lawmakers are playing pivotal roles in the health care repeal fight in Congress. Charlotte-area Rep. Patrick McHenry is trying to whip up votes for the proposed Republican law, while Mark Meadows says his “Freedom Caucus” has the votes to block the measure and is trying to squeeze concessions from the White House and fellow Republicans.
A Charlotte teen facing deportation to his native Mexico under President Trump’s immigration crackdown pleads guilty to stealing from his employer, in hopes the move will help his deportation case.
A change at the top of the Charlotte School of Law with the resignation of the school’s dean, and the new leader hopes to “restore faith” in the troubled school, which is now hoping to transition to non-profit status. Will that help the school get back in the good graces of the federal government and the American Bar Association?
GUESTS
Tom Bullock, WFAE (@TomWFAE)
Glenn Burkins, QCityMetro.com (@glennburkins)
Ann Doss Helms, The Charlotte Observer (@anndosshelms)
Erik Spanberg, Charlotte Business Journal (@CBJspanberg)