VOTE 2016: McCrory, Cooper spar over HB2, coal ash

DURHAM, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper were on the debate stage Tuesday night in Durham two days before voters in the state can start casting ballots.

The gubernatorial candidates sparred over House Bill 2, taxes and teachers’ pay and a third candidate, Libertarian Lon Cecil joined the debate.

McCrory used the first question about recovery from Hurricane Matthew in eastern North Carolina to mention the state's rainy-day fund and attack Cooper.

“(Cooper) spoke against so much money in the fund, would have been a huge mistake had he been governor,” McCrory said.

“(McCrory) knows I have always supported a strong rainy-day fund,” Cooper rebutted.

Cecil said changes to prevent flooding should have been made after Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

“It’s a repeat flood, indicates a lot of things that weren't corrected the first time,” Cecil said.

Cooper then accused McCrory, a former Duke Energy employee, of endangering families near Duke Energy coal ash ponds by changing a report that said their water was unsafe.

“Gov. McCrory, for political reasons or because he worked at Duke, told them to change it,” Cooper said.

“He has received tens of thousands from Duke and during that time, took no action,” McCrory fired back.

Cooper brought up HB2 several times before the moderators did, and when it was posed to the panel, he pounced on McCrory over his support of the bill.

“If a local government wants to protect people from being fired for being gay, HB2 says you can’t do that,” Cooper said.

McCrory seemed open to the idea of changes after he was asked if he's willing to make an amendment to the controversial bill.

“I actually agree with that concept,” McCrory said. “And I have been looking for a compromise for months.”

Cox Media Group