Charlotte city attorney: Council to discuss HB2 in public

The Charlotte City Council’s discussion Monday about the economic impact of House Bill 2 will take place in open session, the city said.

Council members are scheduled to receive reports about the impact of the controversial law around 5 p.m. It had been reported in the media that council members would discuss the reports in closed session, but that’s not correct, the city said.

“That’s not happening,” said City Attorney Bob Hagemann.

The city’s corporate communications department also confirmed the discussion will take place in the open session.

It’s possible council members could take a vote on repealing the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance that it passed in February that would have extended legal protections to gay, lesbian and transgender individuals. The ordinance also would have allowed transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify.

HB2, which the General Assembly passed in March, pre-empted the Charlotte ordinance and requires people in government facilities to use bathrooms that match the gender on their birth certificates.

Legislative leaders in Raleigh have said they might modify HB2 if the city rescinded its ordinance.

Council members believe there are six votes to take a vote to repeal their ordinance. But Mayor Jennifer Roberts could veto their action, and it’s unclear whether there are seven votes in favor of repealing the ordinance to overturn her veto.

A vote on overturning the veto would come a week later.

Council members are scheduled to go into closed session Monday, but it’s about discussing legal strategy for a lawsuit unrelated to HB2 that the city is party to.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 11:31 AM with the headline "Charlotte city attorney: Council to discuss HB2 in public."