A large majority of North Carolina
voters say House Bill 2 is hurting the state economically.
House Bill 2 was a knee jerk reaction
to passage of an LGBT protections ordinance in the city of Charlotte.
Republican lawmakers approved the law during a one-day special
session. It blocks cities and local municipalities from enacting
such measures. House Bill 2 is also the only law in the nation that
prohibits transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice
in government buildings, including schools.
Controversy surrounding the law led the
NBA to pull its upcoming All-Star Game out of Charlotte, while many
businesses voiced their disappointment.
Despite the backlash, Republican
Governor Pat McCrory has defended the law, and Republican lawmakers
ended this year's legislative session without repealing the law.
According to a
poll released this week by Public Policy Polling (PPP), the law
is hurting McCrory's reelection bid.
“If not for HB2, Pat McCrory might be
favored for reelection right now,” PPP President Dean Debnam said.
“But that issue extinguished any remaining chance he had of getting
the kind of support from Democrats and independents that he did in
2012, and now he's fighting an uphill battle to get a second term.”
Forty-three percent of respondents say
that the way McCrory has handled the issue makes them less likely to
vote for him, while 31 percent support McCrory's handling of the
issue.
A majority of respondents (58%) also
believe that the law is hurting North Carolina's economy, while 8
percent believe it is helping. Fifty-five percent of voters think
HB2 is harming North Carolina's reputation.