Ace Speedway in Alamance County and its owners accuse Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration of violating its constitutional rights. The state Supreme Court agreed unanimously Friday that the speedway can seek financial damages.
The new version of the bill includes language that allows people to wear a mask in public to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. The state Senate passed the bill on Thursday after Senate Democrats withheld their vote.
Democrats say the law would mean people who mask for their health would violate the law. Republicans say the bill is only focused on people who mask as a means to conceal their identity.
Republicans in the state Senate want to crack down on recent protests by restricting the use of masks in public. The new bill also would create a felony offense for blocking traffic.
A state Court of Appeals panel ruled unanimously Tuesday that a trial judge erred when he rejected claims by the North Carolina Bar and Tavern Association and private bars that their constitutional rights to earn a living and for equal treatment under the law had been violated.