Feds Sue North Carolina Over Transgender Bathroom Law

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has sued North Carolina over its law restricting the use of public restrooms by transgender people.

The lawsuit was filed Monday just hours after Gov. Pat McCrory filed his own lawsuit over the law. McCrory wants the sweeping law, which limits protections for gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people, kept in place.

McCrory says his lawsuit asks a federal court to clarify what the law actually says with billions in federal aid at stake.

The Justice Department lawsuit seeks a court order declaring that the law's provisions that apply to multiple-occupancy bathrooms or changing facilities "discriminate on the basis of sex."

_________________________________________________________________________

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory says Congress should "bring clarity" to the nation's anti-discrimination laws.

McCrory made the remarks during a Monday news conference hours after his administration sued the U.S. Justice Department over a state law that restricts the use of public restrooms by transgender people.

The sweeping law also limits protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and has been widely criticized. McCrory says his lawsuit asks a federal court to clarify what the law actually says. The Justice Department had sent letters warning the state that its law violated the civil rights of transgender people.

McCrory called that an attempt by the Obama administration to rewrite federal law.