RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Republican lawmakers said late Wednesday night that they have an agreement with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on legislation to resolve a standoff over the state’s “bathroom bill.”

Republican leaders announced that new legislation will be debated and voted on Thursday. Details about the replacement weren’t immediately available, and House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger declined to take questions during a brief news conference.

Cooper’s office didn’t immediately comment.

It also was unclear whether there were enough House and Senate votes to pass it. The Republican announcement followed several hours of private meetings among lawmakers, and with Berger and Moore shuttling between their corner offices at the Legislative Building.

The NCAA has said that North Carolina sites won’t be considered for championship events from 2018 to 2022 “absent any change” in the March 2016 law known as House Bill 2, which is widely seen as discrimination. The NCAA said decisions on events will be made starting this week. North Carolina cities, schools and other groups have offered more than 130 bids for such events.

The NCAA already removed championship events from the state this year because of the law, which limits LGBT nondiscrimination protections and requires transgender people to use public restrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates.

The law already has prompted some businesses to halt expansions, and entertainers and sports organizations to cancel or move events, including the NBA All-Star game in Charlotte.

An Associated Press analysis this week showed that the measure already will cost the state more than $3.76 billion in lost business over a dozen years.

Leaders of national and state gay rights groups said Wednesday evening that they want only legislation that completely repeals HB2 and does nothing else. They have complained about previous compromise proposals – that ultimately failed – because they said they kept discrimination on the books against LGBT people.


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