Lobbying Group Says HB2 Repeal Possible, But There's A Catch

There's a chance House Bill 2 could be repealed soon, according to a North Carolina lobbying group. But they say the City of Charlotte has to act to make that happen.

Proponents of House Bill 2 have pointed to a Charlotte ordinance passed in February that offers new protections for LGBT residents as the spark that led to the bill's passage.

Now, the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association says it has "received assurances" from Governor Pat McCrory and statehouse leaders that lawmakers will hold a special session to repeal the controversial law.

But there is one condition: The Charlotte City Council must repeal the original ordinance.

 “NCRLA has received assurances this week from legislative leadership, that if the Charlotte City Council repeals Ordinance #7056 at their meeting on Monday, the General Assembly is prepared to meet in special session as early as next week to repeal House Bill 2,” said Lynn Minges, NCRLA president and CEO.  “Furthermore, Governor Pat McCrory has assured NCRLA that he is willing to call legislators into a special session next week for this purpose if both the city and legislators have the votes for repeal."

The Restaurant and Lodging Association says it's been working to get policymakers to the table because eateries and hotels have lost money since HB2 passed.

Just this week, the NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference announced they were moving championship sporting events out of the state because of what they called the bill's discriminatory nature.

WFDD has reached out to Governor Pat McCrory's office for comment.