Gov. Pat McCrory was given until today, Monday, May 9, to respond to the U.S. Department of Justice. The Justice Department called HB2 discriminatory and asked North Carolina to either repeal the bill or promise not to enforce it.

Failing to do so might mean the loss of billions of dollars in federal funding, since the Justice Department contended that HB2 violated Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination in education based on sex, and Title IV, which deals with employment discrimination

He and other Republican lawmakers, such as House Speaker Tim Moore, complained that the deadline did not provide enough time to formulate a response.

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McCrory has now responded, filing a lawsuit against the Justice Department. They hope courts will find HB2 does not discriminate.

You can read the lawsuit filed by McCrory here.

“I’m taking this initiative to ensure that North Carolina continues to receive federal funding until the courts resolve this issue,” McCrory said in a press release.

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“The Obama administration is bypassing Congress by attempting to rewrite the law and set restroom policies for public and private employers across the country, not just North Carolina. This is now a national issue that applies to every state and it needs to be resolved at the federal level,” McCrory said. “They are now telling every government agency and every company that employs more than 15 people that men should be allowed to use a women’s locker room, restroom or shower facility.”

The press release also noted “Governor McCrory cited the fact that he has directed state agencies to make a reasonable accommodation of a single occupancy restroom,” and that “the state also allows private companies to set their own policies for bathrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities.”

Watch: Gov. McCrory press conference on HB2 lawsuit

UPDATE (5/9/16, 1:30 P.M.)

Attorney General Loretta Lynch will hold a press conference at 3:30 p.m. today, Monday, May 9, to announce law enforcement action against North Carolina over HB2.

Watch: Gov. McCrory discusses Justice Department’s findings on HB2

Gov. McCrory speaks about the implications of the U.S. Justice Department’s finding regarding HB2 on Wednesday, May 4, at the North Carolina Museum of History.

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Posted by Jeff Taylor / Social Media Editor Jeff Taylor is a journalist and artist. In addition to QNotes, his work has appeared in publications such The Charlotte Observer, Creative Loafing Charlotte, Inside Lacrosse, and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. He graduated from the State University of New York at Brockport and has lived in Charlotte since 2006.@jefftaylorhuman.