NBA, Hornets do not endorse current HB2 bill version

RALEIGH, N.C. — The NBA and Charlotte Hornets said Thursday in a statement they do not endorse the version of House Bill 2 presented to the legislature.

“We have been engaged in dialogue with numerous groups at the city and state levels, but we do not endorse the version of the bill that we understand is currently before the legislature," officials said in a joint statement. "We remain committed to our guiding principles of inclusion, mutual respect and equal protections for all. We continue to believe that constructive engagement with all sides is the right path forward. There has been no new decision made regarding the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.”

Governor meets with lawmakers on latest draft of HB2

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory met with Senate Democrats Thursday morning in the latest sign that a bill changing controversial House Bill 2 is close to being filed in Raleigh.

The draft bill is largely similar to one that was leaked earlier this week.

It would restore the ability to file employment discrimination lawsuits in state court, adopt federal anti-discrimination standards, create a North Carolina certificate of sex reassignment for transgender people born out of state, toughen penalties for crimes committed in bathrooms and create a blue-ribbon commission to look into discrimination issues.

The draft did not address the most controversial provision of HB2, which requires transgender men and women to use bathrooms according to their biological sex, not the gender with which they identify.

“I would expect it to be left in, and that’s a major problem for a lot of us,” Sen. Jeff Jackson, D-Mecklenburg, said.

Jackson was among those who met with the governor on Thursday.

He called the meeting a courtesy on the part of the governor, who signed HB2 into law hours after Republican legislators pushed it through the North Carolina House and Senate in a single day.

Sources said House and Senate leaders hope that the changes being discussed will be enough to ease concerns in the business community, which has been critical of HB2’s provisions.

A long list of major companies, including Bank of America and Wells Fargo, have called on legislators to repeal HB2.

In addition,
the NBA has expressed concerns and indicated that it could move its 2017 NBA All-Star Game because of the law.

“I’m still processing it,” Sen. Joel Ford, D-Mecklenburg, said. “I’m still not in favor of discrimination in any form, but at the same time I do recognize the need for this state to move forward.”

LGBT groups and other HB2 opponents continued their call for a full repeal of HB2, but the latest draft of HB2 changes indicates that it’s unlikely to happen.

Cox Media Group