NC legislature votes to reopen gyms, again
For a second time, the North Carolina legislature voted in favor of a bill that would allow gyms to reopen after months of being closed. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.
It’s the legislature’s sixth attempt to reopen businesses shuttered as part of Gov. Roy Cooper’s coronavirus executive order, and it’s the second effort to reopen gyms, which remain closed under the current order.
The first attempt, House Bill 594, would have allowed both bars and gyms to reopen at limited capacity and allowed restaurants to operate at full capacity. Cooper vetoed the bill, and the House failed to override that veto Wednesday.
The new gym reopening bill, House Bill 806, appeared on the House calendar less than 24 hours later. The original version was written as legislation that would require homeowners to have insurance policies, which was replaced by similar provisions to those included in HB 594.
Governor’s power
The latest version of the gym bill omits a provision included in HB 594 that would’ve required the governor receive approval from the majority-Republican Council of State to close gyms and other businesses again if needed.
Rep. Robert Reives, a Democrat from Goldston, had said he would vote in favor of the bill if it did not include that provision.
“Take out stuff with the gubernatorial powers, and let’s just vote on this,” Reives said ahead of the override vote Wednesday. “These bills have been about cutting the governor’s power in an emergency, and I don’t trust this body to be nimble enough.”
Reives voted in favor of the new version of the bill early Friday morning.
Sen. Rick Gunn, a Republican from Burlington, thanked Senate Democrats for being “honest and truthful” with their concerns about the previous version of the bill.
“Let’s get these gyms open in a capacity that protects the health and safety of our citizens,” Gunn said on the Senate floor Thursday night. “This gives them this economic lifeline and gives the governor that power that he needs, should there be a spike, to shut them back down.”
Gunn also said that under this version of the legislation, the governor would have the power to close gyms again if needed.
The provisions dealing with the governor’s power were included a separate measure that passed the General Assembly early Friday morning, however.
Senate Bill 105 would require the governor to obtain Council of State concurrence to declare a state of emergency, as well as to extend it beyond 30 days. The bill now awaits the governor’s signature.
Rules for gyms
The new version of the gym bill also allows gyms to operate at only 40% capacity, compared to the previous bill, which allowed them to operate at 50% capacity.
The other provisions required of gyms remain the same. Under the bill, health clubs and fitness centers must:
- Take employees’ temperatures daily prior to shifts.
- Require that employees wear face masks and fill out health questionnaires.
- Provide contactless check-in.
- Provide disinfectant spray and hand sanitizer throughout the facility.
- Frequently and routinely clean high-touch equipment and high-use areas.
Both bars and gyms were expected to be authorized to reopen alongside restaurants, breweries and outdoor pools under Cooper’s second phase of reopening after being shuttered for months to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. But when Phase Two was announced, the state took a more modest approach.
Bars and gyms filed lawsuits shortly after.
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This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 1:14 AM.
