North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has told the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA) that he will call a special session of the legislature to repeal HB 2 if the Charlotte City Council and the North Carolina legislature have the votes to repeal the measure, the organization said in a press release:

The hospitality industry has become collateral damage in a fight it did not start or ask for. Restaurant and lodging businesses and their employees are suffering the adverse impact of these policies though lost business and wages.

The North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA) urges policy makers on all sides of this issue to work together to find resolution quickly. “NCRLA has received assurances this week from legislative leadership, that if the Charlotte City Council repeals Ordinance #7056 at their meeting on Monday, the General Assembly is prepared to meet in special session as early as next week to repeal House Bill 2,” said Lynn Minges, NCRLA president and CEO. “Furthermore, Governor Pat McCrory has assured NCRLA that he is willing to call legislators into a special session next week for this purpose if both the city and legislators have the votes for repeal,” she said.

The North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association calls on Charlotte City Council to repeal ordinance #7056 immediately, on Governor McCrory to convene a special session of the NC General Assembly, and on the NC House and Senate to repeal House Bill 2 in its entirety.

The state has suffered billions of dollars in financial losses thanks to the anti-LGBT HB 2 including the NBA All-Star game and all NCAA championship games, as a result of the discriminatory measure which was passed by Republicans in a special session last spring.