Rallies For, Against House Bill 2 Set On Session's First Day
North Carolina legislators returning for their annual work session will hear loud and clear from supporters and opponents of a law they approved last month addressing bathroom use by transgender people and limiting government protections for LGBT citizens.
Christian conservatives and other backers of the law known as House Bill 2 scheduled a midday rally today — the first day of the session — near the Legislative Building in Raleigh. Later civil rights groups led by the state NAACP will rally to oppose Republican policies like the law approved in a special session last month. They also plan a "mass sit-in" inside the Legislative Building.
Earlier Monday, representatives of gay-rights groups will present a petition to Gov. Pat McCrory's office asking he seek the law's repeal.
Psychology Professionals Seek Repeal Of HB2
A group of more than 150 mental health professionals have signed a letter seeking the repeal of HB2.
A news release Sunday by Equality North Carolina says the group of social workers, counselors, psychiatrists and psychologists from North Carolina signed a letter to Gov. Pat McCrory.
The letter says that research shows that LGBT students who experience harassment, bullying or discrimination have lower self-esteem and higher levels of depression. Transgender people also have higher rates of attempting suicide than the general population.
Environment Bills On Legislative Agenda
As lawmakers return for their short session, several environmental bills will be on the agenda.
One of the proposed bills targets drinking water. It prohibits health advisories from being issued for contaminants, unless it exceeds federal or state standards. But those standards don't really exist for some toxins like hexavalent chromium. Elevated levels of the metal have been detected in some wells near coal ash sites.
Another measure focuses on requirements for stream dredging and filling.
And there's a draft bill for how to deal with stormwater. It would stop the requirement of certain control measures that protect downstream water from possible pollution, unless it's regulated under state or federal law.
WFU Volleyball Coach Resigns
Wake Forest University Coach Ken Murczek offered his resignation on Friday.
His departure comes amid allegations of abuse from former members of his team.
The notice comes after an investigation by the student newspaper. Those stories cited former players both on and off the record who said Murczek pushed them far too hard mentally and physically.
In 2014, Murczek had been the target of a Title IX investigation, but university investigators found that he did not violate Wake Forest's sexual harassment or other Title IX policies.
Boone Police Search For Missing 19-Year-Old Man
A helicopter has been used in the search for a 19-year-old college student who went missing from Boone several days ago.
The Boone Police Department said in a news release Sunday that Caldwell Community College student James Martin Roberts was last seen Thursday afternoon. The man had been living in Boone.
Police say he was seen near Appalachian State University campus, and a Highway Patrol helicopter was used Saturday to search for him.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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