RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) says there are no plans to repeal House Bill 2 when the General Assembly reconvenes Monday for the new legislative session.

In a news conference, Berger said the law has been mischaracterized by media and that the vast majority of people he's heard from support it.

"My job is not to give into the demands of multimillionaire celebrities pushing a pet social agenda, liberal newspapers like The New York Times or big corporations who have every freedom to set whatever policies this wish under this law," he said.

Berger also addressed priorities for the session, including teacher pay raises and a likely expansion of the zero tax bracket, also known as the standard deduction. By raising the ceiling on the deduction, more income is exempt from tax.