NC Lawmakers Fail to Repeal Controversial Bathroom Bill.
CUOMO: Protesters at North Carolina's state capital building erupting in anger, because lawmakers failed to repeal the so- called Bathroom Bill in a special session that was called to repeal the bill. As of now, the controversial measure is still the law of the state. CNN's Nick Valencia live in Raleigh, North Carolina, with the very latest. It seems a political play near the end foiled the process.</s>NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lots of surprises. Lots of surprises yesterday, Chris. Good morning. It was nine hours that they were in session. The legislature adjourning without resolving the issue that they were scheduled to meet about. The day started with drama, Republican representatives standing up in protest to say that the special session was unconstitutional and that anything that happened yesterday should be null and void. It ended with state Democrats blasting Republicans for not living up to a deal that was reportedly brokered early this week. For now, House Bill 2, the so-called Bathroom Bill, is law in the state.</s>VALENCIA (voice-over): Frustrations boiling over in North Carolina. Lawmakers failing to repeal the state's controversial Bathroom Bill after more than nine hours of closed-door meetings and negotiations. Known as House Bill 2, the legislation requires transgender people in public buildings to use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender assigned at birth.</s>ROY COOPER (D), GOVERNOR-ELECT, NORTH CAROLINA: The legislature had a chance to do the right thing for North Carolina, and they failed.</s>VALENCIA: Incoming governor, Democrat Roy Cooper, slamming the Republican-controlled legislature for their actions during Wednesday's special session, which was called solely for the purpose of overturning the law.</s>COOPER: I'm disappointed that we have yet to remove the stain on the reputation of our great state.</s>VALENCIA: The law, signed by outgoing Republican Governor Pat McCrory in March, sparked outrage across the country and resulted in economic losses for the state, with businesses, sports associations and cultural figures all pulling out the state in protest, and the Justice Department filing a suit to challenge the matter. McCrory, who has blamed his election loss on the bill, pointing the finger at Democrats Wednesday, saying in a statement, quote, "This was at least the third time that pressure from the left sabotaged bipartisan good faith agreements for political purposes."</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're her unconstitutionally.</s>VALENCIA (on camera): Are you planning on voting no, then, against the repeal?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm planning on voting no on anything that's done here, because it's all unconstitutional.</s>VALENCIA (voice-over): The bitter back and forth coming as each side accuses the other of playing politics and failing to live up to the terms of a reported deal to ensure the repeal of the contested bill.</s>VALENCIA: The legislature is expected to be closed for the rest of the year. When they reconvene on January 11, there's a chance that House Bill 2 will be put on the agenda, but that's not a guarantee -- Chris, Alisyn.</s>CAMEROTA: This just -- thank you very much, Nick. This chapter just keeps going.</s>CUOMO: Also, look. I mean, this is all about politics and definitional politics, identity politics. Who do you want to be? That one lawmaker said, "I'm voting no; this is unconstitutional." Most legal analysts will tell you that any law that bans transgender people from a bathroom would be found unconstitutional. It's a violation of equal protection. So this is more about politics, less about the law.</s>CAMEROTA: It goes on. Meanwhile, the Kremlin describes U.S.-Russian relations as, quote, "frozen." What should President-elect Trump do about Russia? We'll discuss that next.