RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper says he has signed into law a measure that rolls back the state's "bathroom bill."

The Democratic governor signed the bill Thursday despite criticisms from the transgender rights community. The groups say the new measure still denies them protection from discrimination. They demanded nothing less than full repeal.

Cooper acknowledges that it's not a perfect deal and stops short of many things the state needs to do.

Some conservatives also condemned the compromise, saying the current law should have been left in place.

The law known as House Bill 2 cost the state dearly in business projects, conventions and basketball tournaments.

After a year of backlash, the compromise plan was announced Wednesday night. It was worked out under mounting pressure from the NCAA, which threatened to take away more sporting events.

 

10 Things to Know About the New Bill:

1. The new bill repeals HB2 by eliminating the rule on transgender bathroom use, but leaves regulation of multiple occupancy bathrooms, showers or changing facilities to the state, not local government or school officials.

2. House Bill 2 had also restricted local governments' ability to enact nondiscrimination ordinances. Under the bill just approved, local governments can't pass new nondiscrimination protections for workplaces, hotels and restaurants until December 2020.

3. The December debate about House Bill 2 focused on a six-month moratorium and repeal, but Democrats did not agree

4. Other recent proposals included a referendum for locals to pass ordinances, but all failed to gain enough traction

5. Conservative and LGBT groups were both against this bill, but for different reasons. Many conservatives felt that the current law should have been left in place. LGBT groups felt the new bill still denies them protection from discrimination.

6. This is not actually a new bill. Lawmakers gutted another bill, HB142, that was a different bill altogether and are inserting this bill into it. This prevents any amendments, or changes, to the bill.

7. The big question is will this be enough to pass muster with NCAA who gave a deadline of noon on Thursday to change the bill or lose future NCAA tournaments through 2022. Lawmakers came up with the resolution in the early afternoon and Gov. Cooper announced he had signed in the late afternoon hours. The sports governing body said it would start making decisions on host cities this week and announce them in April. NC cities, schools and other groups have submitted more than 130 bids for such events.

8. The N.C. Chamber supported the bill.

9. Former Gov. Pay McCrory also supported this bill.

10. The vote passed on the Senate floor, 32-16 with nine Democrats among the "yes" votes. It passed in the House 70-48.

 

Reporter Ryan Breslin has the latest on reaction to the new bill from NC Values Coalition, Equality NC, the ACLU and other groups: