Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the passage of House Bill 2 into law in North Carolina.
The law immediately drew criticism from LGBT advocacy organizations and some high-profile businesses.
The National Basketball Association, NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference all pulled sporting events out of the Tar Heel state due to the law.
HB2 was also a key piece in the gubernatorial campaign between then Governor Pat McCrory and Roy Cooper, who was North Carolina’s Attorney General. Cooper went on to defeat McCrory in the general election, which marked the first time an incumbent seeking a second term had lost an election in North Carolina.
Cooper issued a statement on Thursday calling the day a “dark anniversary in our state.”
“For one year now, HB 2 has harmed our reputation and cost our economy thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars. I have offered numerous compromises and remain open to any deal that will bring jobs and sports back to North Carolina and begin to repair our reputation.”
“North Carolinians have spoken clearly that HB 2 does not reflect our values and must be repealed. Legislative Republicans have been all too happy to use their supermajorities to pass damaging partisan laws. It’s time for them to step up, meet halfway, and repeal HB 2.”
Cooper ran a campaign promising to work to repeal the law. Several bills have been introduced that range from a clean repeal of the law to other versions that repealed HB2 but would then reinstate portions of the law.
State Rep. Graig Meyer (D-Orange) discussed the HB2 debate with WCHL’s Aaron Keck.
There has been urgency recently to repeal the law as the NCAA has an upcoming deadline to award championship events over the next five years. The organization reiterated on Thursday it would not award North Carolina championship events unless a satisfactory change was made to HB2.
“Last year, the NCAA Board of Governors relocated NCAA championships scheduled in North Carolina because of the cumulative impact HB2 had on local communities’ ability to assure a safe, healthy, discrimination free atmosphere for all those watching and participating in our events. Absent any change in the law, our position remains the same regarding hosting current or future events in the state. As the state knows, next week our various sports committees will begin making championships site selections for 2018-2022 based upon bids received from across the country. Once the sites are selected by the committee, those decisions are final and an announcement of all sites will be made on April 18.”
No bills filed regarding HB2 have moved through the North Carolina General Assembly.
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