As discussed earlier this week, the North Carolina General Assembly convened for a special session on December 21 to reconsider and possibly repeal HB2. In a prior statement, Governor-elect Roy Cooper opined that a complete repeal of the bill “will help to bring jobs, sports and entertainment events back and will provide the opportunity for strong LGBT protections in our state.” However, following political posturing by proponents and opponents of the bill, the parties were unable to come to mutually agreeable terms regarding a repeal.
Based on earlier estimates, the state has lost over 500 million in lost revenue from cancelled sports and entertainment events as well as business development; for reference, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce North Carolina’s gross domestic product exceeded 500 billion in 2015. It remains to be seen how the failure to repeal HB2 will impact the state moving into 2017. However, it is likely that North Carolina will continue to see some sports, entertainment, and business organizations boycott the state as a way of voicing their disapproval of the law.