ATLANTA – State Representatives Park Cannon (D-Atlanta), Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) and Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta) today commented on North Carolina’s House Bill 2, or the “bathroom bill”:
“North Carolina lawmakers had the opportunity to begin to repair the damage done by anti- LGBT legislation, House Bill 2,” said Rep. Waites. “But in the eleventh hour, a provision was added to place a moratorium on local LGBT non-discrimination protections. In other words: the HB 2 repeal failed, and LGBT North Carolinians remain unprotected. The economy remains in jeopardy, and the state politics are declining into chaos.”
“We stand to urge our colleagues to oppose any anti-LGBT legislation that risks taking Georgia down the same disastrous path in 2017,” said Rep. Cannon. “The price of discrimination is steep. North Carolina has lost hundreds of thousands of jobs; over $600 million to frozen investments and cancelled events; and irreversible national reputational damage and political strife. And with the law still on the books designed to leave LGBT North Carolinians vulnerable to discrimination, these costs will only continue mounting.”
“For three years, we’ve had to fight at our State Capitol against vicious attempts to codify discrimination into Georgia law,” said Rep. Drenner. “And this year, we are grateful for the leadership displayed by Gov. Nathan Deal, who vetoed anti-LGBT, HB 757. In closing, we urge our colleagues to do what’s right for Georgia: invest in Georgia’s economy and avoid the disastrous path the State of North Carolina has chosen.”
Representative Park Cannon represents the citizens of District 58, which includes portions of Fulton County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2016, and currently serves on the Code Revision, Human Relations & Aging, and Small Business Development committees.
Representative Karla Drenner represents the citizens of District 85, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2000, and currently serves on the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Health & Human Services, Natural Resources & Environment, Rules, and Small Business Development committees.
Representative Keisha Waites represents the citizens of District 60, which includes portions of Clayton and Fulton counties. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2012, and currently serves on the Interstate Cooperation, Juvenile Justice, Public Safety & Homeland Security, Special Rules, and Transportation committees.
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