Now that it’s been several months since NC Governor Ol’ Ray Cooper came out in support of, and signed in to law, HB-142, the North Carolina General Assembly’s bill which repealed the NC “Bathroom Bill”, HB-2, the Governor has decided it’s time to throw the State of North Carolina back in to the proverbial, and literal, toilet. And shower facility. And locker room. And for some reason, he’s decided to do this just in time for the Amazon Headquarters Sweepstakes?
I just have to wonder about the timing of this, as well as Ol’ Ray’s motivation for doing this. Now, what has Ol’ Ray actually done? Well, he has done two things, either of which seem to illustrate the Constitutional, and legal, ignorance and incompetence of our former 16 year State Attorney General. Ol’ Ray Cooper’s administration said in a proposed consent decree to settle the lawsuit filed against the State, that continuing to fight the lawsuit would be a waste of time and money. This proposed “settlement” makes the “Birth Certificate” requirement for using State-controlled bathrooms, shower facilities and locker rooms no longer in force. Good Ol’ Ray!
Then on top of this “questionable” settlement action, Ol’ Ray also signed an executive order on Wednesday that forbids state agencies from discriminating against people based on gender identity and extends that prohibition to state contractors and subcontractors. Through this action, Ol’ Ray has decided that the illegal 2015 Charlotte City ordinance, which started the whole HB-2 situation, is now basically been made the law Statewide. Don’t you know this has the Human Rights Campaign and Mayor Jenny just grinning from ear-to-ear?
Of course the NC General Assembly responded as expected- “Roy Cooper made a deal with the business community and the legislature to repeal HB2 and put divisive social issues that North Carolinians are sick of hearing about behind us, and his attempt to resurrect these issues shows he acted in bad faith and lied about wanting to end the focus on HB2,” Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore said in a joint statement.
While I wonder why Speaker Moore and Senator Berger even see the need to point out that Ol’ Ray “acted in bad faith and lied” (I mean he is a North Carolina elected Democrat), it just fits the general operations of the NC Attorney General’s office during Ol’ Ray’s 16 years of heading it. SIDE NOTE: Isn’t it interesting that we’ve seen and heard more from Ol’ Ray concerning law-suits and legal matters in his <11 months as Governor than we did in his 16 years as State AG? I can only guess that he is now realizing that he had more power as AG than he does as Governor?
What about the really interesting timing of these actions and why would Ol’ Ray be doing this? The fact this happened within a day of Charlotte submitting its proposal package for the next Amazon Headquarters can’t be ignored in this conversation. Or if it is not a piece of it, we now know for certain the Gov. Ol’ Ray is truly disconnected from his surroundings and position, and should be impeached. Could it be that Ol’ Ray thinks that by reopening the toilet door discussion, it will show that North Carolina has found its way past HB-2, and this will be the final incentive that entices Amazon to locate here? Really? If Ol’ Ray believes this then the conversation about impeachment must be visited. I’m not even willing to believe that Ol’ Ray is that crazy.
There is another possibility that is even more disturbing. Do we know how much money the LGBTQRSW community gave Ol’ Ray to help get him elected? Could Ol’ Ray just be so invested in, and directed by, organizations like the Human Rights Campaign and EqualityNC that he remains dedicated to doing their bidding to advance their agenda, regardless of the possible consequences? Now, after NC was the first State ever to stand against the HRC Transgender Bathroom ordinance, could these vindictive operations be directing Ol’ Ray to do this for their own reason? Is so, they could punish the State’s “past transgressions” against the “diversity community”, by assuring Amazon will NOT locate in NC. You know, because the State has a “bathroom problem” and Amazon wouldn’t dare walk in to the middle of such a divisive struggle, particularly on the State’s side of the discussion. With the HRC’s history of using “lawfare” to extort from their opponents, and to punish them for attacking “diversity”, this could be right down their alley. Just sayin’.
Whatever the reason behind Ol’ Ray and his boy, Joshua Stein, AG, deciding to do this TO the State of North Carolina and the Citizens who reside there now just seems strange. The loudest thing it says to me is that the Voters in North Carolina showed really poor judgment in electing Ol’ Ray and little Joshua to the high offices they hold last November. And we have them to live with until 2020. Thank goodness we elected Dan Forest as our Lt. Governor, a majority of Republicans to the Council of State and adults to the General Assembly to keep them in a legal box. But for now, Gov. Ol’ Ray is back in the toilet.
God Bless America! And America, Bless God Again!
