A proposed deal to repeal North Carolina's House Bill 2 disappeared within minutes after it was announced on Tuesday by Republican leaders.

At an evening press conference, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore announced that they had agreed in principle to a proposed repeal by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper.

Cooper, however, has denied ever making such a proposal.

House Bill 2 was approved last March during a one-day special session. It blocks cities and municipalities from enacting LGBT protections and prohibits transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice in many buildings.

A recent AP survey estimated the cost of lost business from the “bathroom bill” at $3.7 billion over the next 12 years.

The proposal outlined by Moore and Berger would keep many of the provisions found in the law, including preventing cities from making bathroom access rules, limiting local non-discrimination ordinances from exceeding federal guidelines – federal law does not include LGBT protections – and allowing people who claim their “rights of conscience” are being infringed to sue.

LGBT rights groups criticized the plan.

“This is not a repeal proposal,” said Equality NC Executive Director Chris Sgro, “and it's not going to do anything to address the discrimination contained in HB2 or bring the NCAA and business back to our fine state. This is the most blatantly transparent attempt they've made yet to shift the blame to anyone other than themselves. Tonight's political stunt by Phil Berger and Tim Moore is yet another unfortunate example that North Carolina voters deserve more from their leaders.”

“They are literally proposing to pile a 'super RFRA' on top of some of the most egregious parts of HB2,” said Cathryn Oakley, senior legislative counsel at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). “It's outrageous, poorly conceived, and a divisive distraction from the matter at hand – that Republican leadership is refusing to allow the full and unequivocal repeal of HB2.”

The NCAA previously gave the state until Thursday to repeal the law or risk losing events in the state.

(Related: NCAA warns North Carolina to repeal anti-LGBT law or risk losing championships.)