Having already passed a resolution standing with the city of Charlotte and affirming their commitment to equality, the Orange County Board of Commissioners passed a second resolution against the bill in their meeting Tuesday night.
“I think it’s proper that we move past that and ask, as our brother and sister governments have done, that this bill be repealed,” said chair of the board Earl McKee.
This marks another local government that has called for the repeal of House Bill 2. Carrboro was first to take such action.
Commissioners were ready to go another step and authorize the county to join in litigation against the bill, but county attorney John Roberts encouraged them to wait because of potential political ramifications.
“Currently we need a local bill fairly desperately and I’ve been informed today by Senator (Valerie) Foushee that it’s not likely she’s going to get that local bill without a committee chair’s assistance,” Roberts said. “That committee chair supports House Bill 2.”
Roberts said if the board passed a resolution calling for legal action against HB2, Foushee could lose the support of the committee chair.
Roberts also said he had another reason to wait, but needed to discuss it with the commissioners in the privacy of a closed session meeting.
“Once again we find ourselves at the mercy of a radical, right-wing legislature that is threatening to hold up needed local legislation on a completely unrelated matter as punishment,” commissioner Mark Dorosin said.
Dorosin moved to keep the wording that would authorize the county to join in legal proceedings, something commissioner Bernadette Pelissier objected to.
“I understand my colleagues concerns that we’re being punished,” she said. “I want to have a discussion in closed session before I vote on it. I don’t want to jeopardize things that are very important to this county.”
The resolution passed 6-1, with Pelissier being the lone dissenting voice.
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