HB2’s repeal ushers in jobs as Credit Suisse expands in Triangle

Credit Suisse is an international financial services holding company with 1,700 employees in the Triangle, and now, thanks to the repeal of HB2, Gov. Roy Cooper has announced the company will expand with as many as 1,200 more jobs.

The cost of HB2, which was repealed after being on the books too long thanks to Republicans in the General Assembly and their weak governor, is hard to know. But it most certainly was in the many millions of dollars (and climbing toward billions) and thousands of jobs.

Cooper will bring some business after leading the effort to repeal HB2, but it’s becoming clear much was lost thanks to Republicans’ indifference to losses resulting from their ridiculous bathroom bill limiting access of those in the LGBT community to bathrooms and more importantly, tying the hands of local governments in passing their own anti-discrimination ordinances. (Limits remain in effect until 2020.)

It’s good that Cooper landed Credit Suisse’s expansion, but it’s hard not to wonder how much was lost during the HB2 misadventure. It took far too long for Republicans to fix a mistake they never should have made in the first place.

This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 2:18 PM with the headline "HB2’s repeal ushers in jobs as Credit Suisse expands in Triangle."