N&O: HB2 didn’t stop NC from topping a ‘prosperity’ ranking
More evidence that Cooper and the media lied to us about the economy.
From the News & Observer:
"Acknowledging that it will “come as a shock to some” given the furor that enveloped the state after the controversial House Bill 2 became law last year, Site Selection magazine has ranked North Carolina tops in economic development.
North Carolina’s No. 1 rating for 2017 – a ranking that is based on 2016 data – didn’t come out of the blue. Last year the state tied with Texas for the No. 1 spot in the magazine’s Prosperity Cup ranking, which it previously called Top Competitive States."
Read more here.
WRAL: Court asked to revive challenge to gay-marriage recusal law
Important updates on the issue of whether judges are protected from violating their religious convictions.
Out of WRAL:
RICHMOND, VA. — A federal appeals court will consider Wednesday whether three North Carolina couples have legal standing to challenge a law allowing magistrates with religious objections to refuse to perform same-sex marriages.
The couples are asking the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond to revive the lawsuit because they say the state is spending their tax dollars to accommodate magistrates' religious views. The couples — two gay and one interracial — argue those expenditures give them the right to sue, despite a district court ruling to the contrary.
The 2015 law, known as SB2, allows magistrates to recuse themselves from performing marriages "based on any sincerely held religious objections." Those who file such notices are prevented from officiating at all marriages — gay and heterosexual — for at least six months. The law also allows some court clerks to decline to issue marriage licenses.
Read more here.