CHARLOTTE – A Democratic legislator actively lobbied Charlotte City Council members over the weekend, stopping the repeal of the Charlotte ordinance that triggered H. B. 2. According to a report from Charlotte television station WBTV, Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg) told council members not to repeal the ordinance because the legislature would repeal H.B. 2 and Democrats needed it “on the books” to win in the November elections.”This deal was done, and was going to be done, but for three people, and they’re all sitting in Charlotte,’ a Democratic lawmaker reportedly told Charlotte reporter Nick Ochsner at WBTV. “Three people in Charlotte are holding North Carolina hostage right now.”N.C. GOP chairman Robin Hayes called the report “inexcusable” in comments to reporters Tuesday morning in High Point just before a rally for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Hayes accused Carney and Democrats of “snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.””The damage we have suffered because of Jennifer Roberts, Roy Cooper, Becky Carney, and others makes the facts clear; Pat McCrory and the N.C. General Assembly, led by Republicans, have grown our economy and gotten us out of debt… Roy Cooper has nothing to run on except one piece of legislation that should never have been passed by the Charlotte City Council,” said Hayes.Until the weekend there were reportedly seven members of the city council prepared to repeal the ordinance which would have led Gov. McCrory to call a special session of the state legislature. McCrory announced on Friday that he would call the session and believed that there were the legislative votes to repeal H.B. 2 if the Charlotte ordinance were repealed. Mayor pro Tem Vi Lyles and Councilwoman Julie Eiselt were reportedly the last two to change their vote after Carney’s phone call.”The city council, folks in Charlotte, including the chamber, the General Assembly, the governor, they were ready to solve the problem, bring the games back, reset the whole procedure and move on,” said Hayes. “Roy Cooper, Becky Carney, they scuttled the deal. As long as I’ve been around, its one of the most disappointing political stunts I’ve ever seen.”On Monday night Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who led the effort to pass the ordinance in March, told attendees at the city council meeting that while there was a request to add the ordinance to the agenda she would not add it, nor would she allow discussion on it.”We applaud the governor for recognizing that the state needs to overturn H.B. 2, which the state can do at any time, without any action from the city of Charlotte,” said Roberts at the city council meeting. “We are not prepared to add this item to our City Council agenda this evening. However, we urge the state to take action, as soon as possible, and we encourage continued dialogue with our broader community.”The Charlotte City Council is scheduled to meet next Monday also, but has not released an agenda.
