Weekly Wrap: HB2, HB2, HB2 ... and some court cases too

This week, Gov. Pat McCrory issued an executive order that reaffirmed the need for the provision of the law that requires people to use public bathrooms that match the gender listed on their birth certificates. At the same time, however, he expanded discrimination protections to gay and transgender state workers and asked the legislature to roll back the portion of the law that eliminated the ability for workers to sue for discrimination in state court.

In other news, a panel of three judges is weighing a challenge to North Carolina's legislative districts. A separate panel in February ordered lawmakers to redraw congressional districts, ruling that they relied too heavily on race to create the map in 2011. Plaintiffs are making the same argument to get the state House and state Senate districts thrown out.

The state Supreme Court also heard a challenge to the retention elections lawmakers created last year for sitting Supreme Court justices. Three Superior Court judges ruled recently that such up-or-down votes – judges face no competition in a retention election – would have to be approved through a constitutional amendment and not action by the General Assembly.