West Wake News

On Wednesday, North Carolina Representative Erin Pare utilized Twitter as a platform to voice her dissatisfaction with Governor Cooper's veto of three bills: the "Parent's Bill of Rights," "Gender Transition/Minors," and the "Fairness in Women's Sports Act." In response to these vetoes, Governor Cooper issued a statement on Wednesday attributing his decision to "political culture wars."

"For campaign purposes only, Republicans are serving up a triple threat of political culture wars using government to invade the rights and responsibilities of parents and doctors, hurting vulnerable children and damaging our state’s reputation and economy like they did with the harmful bathroom bill," said Cooper in a statement regarding his decision to veto the bills. "Instead of scheming for the next election, Republicans should get to work investing in our public schools and teachers, lowering the cost of living and creating more stability for middle class families.”

"Cooper has vetoed HB 574, the 'Fairness In Women’s Sports Act' which requires biological males to compete against biological males, not biological females, in high school and college sports. As a mom of two teenagers who are both competitive athletes, I am not only a primary sponsor of this bill, but also an advocate for preserving the integrity of women’s sports and ensuring a safe and fair playing field. NC Republicans will swiftly override this veto," Pare tweeted.

The vetoed bills placed significant emphasis on the rights of "LGBTQ" youth, including provisions that aimed to prohibit minors from accessing hormone therapy, puberty-blockers and surgeries. The bills also sought to ban transgender participation in school sports and restrict the inclusion of "LGBTQ" education within elementary schools, among other measures. Given Cooper's decision to veto these bills, there is an anticipation that the Republican party will make efforts to override these vetoes in response, according to NBC News.

“This session the General Assembly passed three pieces of legislation which would protect women’s rights, parental rights, and vulnerable children from being mutilated by medical activists," said Tami Fitzgerald, Executive Director of North Carolina Values Coalition, according to a statement. "North Carolinians are fed up with government schools and so-called medical professionals who advance the transgender agenda to the detriment of children. Children are being indoctrinated in schools, girls are being denied a level playing field in sports, and minors are being chemically and surgically castrated to advance a dangerous LGBTQ agenda that the majority of the public does not support."