Speaker: No Changes On HB2
The Speaker of the North Carolina House says the state won't make any changes to the controversial HB2, despite pressure from the U.S Justice Department to amend a part of the law by Monday that regulates bathroom use for transgender people.
House Speaker Tim Moore calls the timeline unreasonable and says it amounts to playing politics.
UNC Could Lose $1.4 Billion Due To LGBT Law
North Carolina's prized public universities risk losing more than $1.4 billion a year in federal funds if Republican state lawmakers don't change House Bill 2.
The U.S. Justice Department wants University of North Carolina officials to say by Monday that transgender people can use UNC restrooms aligning with their gender identity. The government says the universities and other state agencies are violating federal anti-discrimination laws.
UNC President Margaret Spellings has said that while public universities would comply with the law, she hopes legislators change it.
NC Ready For New Tobacco Rules
New rules from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will limit the sale of all tobacco products – including electronic cigarettes – to people 18 and older.
The FDA is also putting additional youth tobacco prevention measures in place, including photo ID requirements, restricting tobacco vending machines, and banning free samples.
Tobacco manufacturers have known for several years that new rules on e-cigs and other products were on the horizon.
The age and ID requirements are largely in line with what many top companies already say they want.
The rules take effect in August.
Protesters March To Reynolds Headquarters
A large group of protesters gathered Thursday outside of tobacco giant Reynolds American's shareholders meeting. They also marched through downtown Winston-Salem to promote workers rights in agriculture and other industries.
The rally in front of Reynolds headquarters has become an annual event for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee. But this year, their focus is on a recent audit released by the company on the practices of farmers that sell tobacco to Reynolds. It found some safety violations and inadequate reporting of workplace accidents.
The report also found a few instances of children under 13 working on tobacco farms.
Spokesman David Howard says Reynolds is committed to safety and accountability and has been transparent about the audit process.
North Carolina GOP Convention Follows Dismissal Of Chairman
The North Carolina Republican Party begins its annual convention Friday with tensions that test the calls of leaders for unity in a presidential election year.
In the week leading up to the convention, state party Chairman Hasan Harnett was removed from his job by party activists and Donald Trump became the apparent GOP presidential nominee.
New state party Chairman Robin Hayes is a party veteran and former congressman who was the chairman earlier this decade.
Scheduled speakers include Gov. Pat McCrory and U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, both seeking re-election in November.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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