Republican supporters of the ban said it would help police crack down on protesters who wear masks
House Bill 237 would ban everyone, not just protesters, from wearing masks in public for medical reasons if it becomes law. It passed 30-15, with every Republican in favor and every Democrat opposed.
Posting this as a throwback story of NC history.
In response to the white supremacist Charleston Church Shooting of June 2015, there were public protests for the removal of confederate monuments from public property. In July 2015, North Carolina passes a law which makes it illegal for local governments to remove confederate statues from public property.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_History_Artifact_Management_and_Patriotism_Act_of_2015
https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2015-2016/SL2015-170.html