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North Carolina Chamber Releases Fact-Based Analysis of House Bill 142

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 North Carolina Chamber Releases Fact-Based Analysis of House Bill 142

State Chamber of Commerce Releases Contents of Letter to ACC Commissioner

RALEIGH, N.C. – Lew Ebert, president and CEO of the North Carolina Chamber, a nonpartisan business advocacy organization, today sent the following letter to Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford regarding House Bill 142. It includes a fact-based description of House Bill 142, including an outline of the restrictions which have been removed from the North Carolina statute by passage of House Bill 142.

March 31, 2017

John Swofford
Commissioner
Atlantic Coast Conference
4512 Weybridge Lane
Greensboro, NC  27407

Dear Commissioner Swofford:

As North Carolina’s largest, broad-based business advocacy organization, we are writing on behalf of the North Carolina Chamber’s 35,000 members who employ 1.26 million workers in our state.

Yesterday, after 12 months of urging from the business community, North Carolina’s House and Senate leadership and Governor Cooper came together on a bipartisan basis and found a way to deal with the concerns House Bill 2 posed for North Carolina. They passed and signed into law an effective compromise that returns our state to its pre-House Bill 2 status. House Democrat Minority Leader Darren Jackson made these comments on the N.C. House floor regarding the bill. Specifically, House Bill 142 immediately allows event venues, including local governments, to contract with third parties such as the NCAA to provide for anti-discrimination and accommodation consistent with the requirements of those third parties. House Bill 142 also removes:

  • The statewide law telling people which bathroom to use;
  • A prohibition that prevents cities from enacting local laws regulating labor, trade, mining and manufacturing;
  • House Bill 2 language which defined biological sex as the physical condition of being male or female as stated on a person’s birth certificate;
  • The restriction on a person’s right to recover in State Court when they are fired for their race, ethnicity, national origin, gender and religion;
  • Restrictions on localities enacting local minimum wage ordinances and other economic issues, as well as family leave policies, child welfare protections, or other types of policies;
  • The statewide law banning local ordinances that existed prior to House Bill 2; and
  • The restriction on localities’ ability to contract on terms that include protection for all communities.

All of these restrictions, which have been dubbed inappropriate by your organization, others and the statewide business community, have been removed from the North Carolina statute by passage of House Bill 142. This development makes our state’s reputation whole again.

As the ninth-largest state in the country, with a rapidly growing population, North Carolina is proud to boast the 30th largest economy in the world. We are a rapidly-growing state that is diverse, forward-thinking and innovative. The path taken by our state’s leaders yesterday is more consistent with the values and reputation of North Carolina than what you have been reading for the last year.

The events of yesterday were important for North Carolina to give the nation and the world a better sense of who we are as a state. The proud home of many ACC championship teams, North Carolina is open for business. We welcome all newcomers, events and businesses. Furthermore, we look forward to welcoming you, your members, your sponsors and your fans back to the Tar Heel State to enjoy the full benefit of North Carolina hospitality.

Sincerely,

S. Lewis Ebert
President and CEO
North Carolina Chamber

About the North Carolina Chamber:
The North Carolina Chamber is a nonpartisan business advocacy organization that works in the legislative, regulatory and political arenas to proactively drive positive change to ensure that North Carolina is a leading place in the world to do business.  Strengthening the state’s ability to attract, keep and grow jobs is the Chamber’s highest priority.  Central to that effort are four “Pillars of a Secure Future” for North Carolina which include Education and Talent Supply, Business Climate, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Infrastructure and Growth Leadership.  For more information, visit www.ncchamber.net.

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