by WorldTribune Staff, March 24, 2017
The NCAA has warned North Carolina that it must act quickly to repeal House Bill 2 or risk losing NCAA college sports championship events through 2022.
“As the state knows, next week our various sports committees will begin making championships site selections for 2018-2022,” the NCAA said in a statement. “Once the sites are selected … those decisions are final.”
The NCAA said it plans to announce the sites on April 18.
NC House Speaker Tim Moore said that “if there’s any entity out there that’s going to tell North Carolina that we have to let men in women’s showers, that’s just too bad, we’re not going to change that.”
Legislative leaders said on March 23 they are discussing changes to HB2 but the Republican-controlled legislature and Gov. Roy Cooper “remain at an impasse over repeal,” The Charlotte Observer reported.
“I have offered numerous compromises and remain open to any deal that will bring jobs and sports back to North Carolina and begin to repair our reputation,” Cooper said in a statement on March 23. “Legislative Republicans have been all too happy to use their super-majorities to pass damaging partisan laws. It’s time for them to step up, meet halfway, and repeal HB2.”
Moore said the GOP caucus discussed HB2 in meetings on March 22 and 23.
“We’re taking whatever time is necessary,” Moore said. “We’re not going to move forward until a majority of the caucus is prepared to do something.”
Moore said he’s been talking with business leaders and others, and that “if I didn’t have pretty good assurances” the potential HB2 changes would end boycotts, “I wouldn’t be wasting my time.”
Last weekend Duke and North Carolina played their first-round NCAA basketball tournament games in Greenville, South Carolina, after the games were moved from Greensboro. NCAA officials moved events “because of the cumulative impact HB2 had on local communities’ ability to assure a safe, healthy, discrimination free atmosphere,” the organization said on March 23.
“Absent any change in the law, our position remains the same regarding hosting current or future events in the state,” the NCAA said.
JoDee Winterhof, a senior vice president of the national Human Rights Campaign, said “the NCAA has put North Carolina on notice.”
“North Carolina lawmakers have run out of time for their reckless political gamesmanship, and they must immediately vote for full and complete repeal of HB2,” she said.
NCAA threatens North Carolina: Repeal HB2 or lose championships through 2022 added by World Tribune on
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