Democrats Predict Special Session to Address Anti-LGBT Law
Democratic North Carolina lawmakers believe the General Assembly will hold a special session before the end of this year to possibly repeal the anti-LGBT House Bill 2, which has cost the state untold millions of dollars. Â
And they say the driving factor will be the NBA’s threat to move the 2017 All-Star game out of Charlotte if the law remains in place.Â
“I don’t think the NBA can wait until January,†state Rep. Chris Sgro, D-Guilford, told The Winston Salem Journal. “If they’re going to move the game, they need to make that decision well before then. Given that, I would not be surprised if we ended up in a special session well before the end of the year.â€
Absent a call from GOP Gov. Pat McCrory, which seems unlikely given his undying support for the bill, a special session would require the backing of three-fifths of legislators.Â
Sgro, who also serves as executive director of Equality North Carolina, said based on recent conversations with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, he believes if there were another vote on HB2 today, it would be repealed — even though the General Assembly declined to do so during its short session that ended last week.Â
“I think the entire state and of course the LGBT community were disappointed,†Sgro said. “But if the NBA All-Star Game leaves that will be the loudest thud we’ve seen so far. It’s not just the All-Star Game — it’s about the Hornets franchise staying here, and it’s emblematic of larger economic development problems.
“It’s going to make everybody think about whether they want to come here or whether they want to stay here, if they are here,†Sgro said. “That’s not going to bode well for Republicans in November.â€
Democratic state Rep. Pricey Harrison agreed there is “a really good chance of a special session.”Â
“You really can’t avoid how much it has hurt the state, and everyone knows there’s more fallout to come,” he said.Â
Earlier this week, WRAL-TV reported that Raleigh could lose up to $40 million in convention business due to the law.Â
Meanwhile, 68 companies have signed the Human Rights Campaign amicus brief in support of the U.S. Department of Justice’s effort to block HB2. Â
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