David H. Bland: Chamber waffles on HB2

Regarding the May 12 news article “N.C. Chamber urges revisions to House Bill 2”: The Chamber of Commerce demonstrated its complicity regarding HB2 in the anemic and self-serving letter it sent to legislators.

Not surprisingly the letter was silent on the prohibition of municipalities’ requiring their contractors to pay above the state minimum wage, suggesting that plaintiffs be given only six months to file a discrimination allegation, which does not reflect the difficulties employees experience in trying to codify the discriminatory act, and it dodges the fact that many employers in North Carolina and those wishing to locate here do not support the discriminatory manner in which the LGBTQ community is treated.

It is no wonder that CEO Lew Ebert recognized that the chamber has “diverse opinions.” The chamber should admit the economic and reputation damage HB2 has inflicted upon our great state and simply ask the legislature and governor to repeal HB2.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 5:20 PM with the headline "David H. Bland: Chamber waffles on HB2."