North Carolina Business Leaders Will Voice Their Opposition to HB777/SB106

As State Lawmakers Consider a Proposed Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment North Carolina Business Leaders

From the North Carolina Legislature, Tuesday, September 13, at 11:30 a.m.

Will Voice Their Opposition to HB777/SB106; Address Specific Business and Economic Harms Caused by the Amendment

Raleigh, N.C. – Fearing their concerns about a proposed anti-gay constitutional amendment’s economic harms have fallen on deaf ears, business leaders from across the state will come together to publicly announce their opposition to the proposed legislation, Tuesday, September 13, at 11:30 a.m., at a press conference from the North Carolina General Assembly legislative building (Press Conference Room, 16 West Jones St., downtown Raleigh, NC).

Hosted by Rep. Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland), the press conference will coincide with a special legislative session during which state lawmakers are predicted to vote on HB777/SB106, “the anti-gay constitutional amendment.” As proposed, the amendment would write directly into the state constitution a ban on same-sex marriage (as state statute already does), prohibit civil unions, and could strip domestic partner benefits from same- and opposite-sex couples.

The press conference comes as a direct response to claims from an August 30, press conference, hosted by N.C. Republican House leaders, House Majority Leader Rep. Paul Stam and Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Dale Folwell, during which both asserted that nothing in the amendment would impact private industry. The media event will also challenge recent statements made by Tami Fitzgerald, of the newly-formed conservative group, the “N.C. Values Coalition,” in the September 9, Raleigh News and Observer, that this legislation, which would strip public domestic partner benefits, jeopardize private businesses’ ability to provide their own domestic partner employer benefits, hinder recruiting of the talented workers, and launch a divisive 14-month ballot campaign, is somehow “A Plus for N.C. Business.”

Scheduled press conference participants include (as of 9//9/2011):

Richard Degnan

Vice President, Brand and Values

The Body Shop, Americas Region

Wake Forest, N.C.

Contact: Jennifer Harrison

919-554-4900, ext. 8067

Jennifer.Harrison@thebodyshop.com

Martin Eakes

CEO

Self-Help

Durham, N.C.

919-956-4437 

Martin.Eakes@self-help.org 

Mitchell Gold

Co-founder of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

Taylorsville, N.C.

Phone: (828) 632-9200

Email: mitchell.gold@mgbwhome.com

Anthony J. Pugliese, CPA/CITP

Senior Vice President of Finance Membership and Operations 

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)

Durham, N.C.

Phone: 919-402-4900 

Cell: 917-568-9300

Email: apugliese@aicpa.org

Holning Lau

UNC School of Law Professor and Co-Author of “Potential Legal Impact of the Proposed Same-Sex Marriage Amendment to the North Carolina Constitution”

Phone: 773-771-8333

Email: hslau@email.unc.edu

Andrew Spainhour

General Counsel

Replacements, Ltd.

Greensboro, N.C. 

Phone: 336-697-3000, ext. 2205

Email: andrew.spainhour@replacements.com

Erin Boggs

CEO, Argyle Social 

Durham, N.C. 

Phone: (919) 360.0238 / (919) 408-7990

Brian Fitzsimmons

The Sorin Group Insurance 

Raleigh, N.C.

Phone: 919-723-8035

Email: brian@thesoringroup.com

In an effort to voice their concerns leading up to the September 12, special legislative session, statewide business leaders have already contacted state legislators, scheduled in-person meetings, spoken with media, and written editorials—all to drive home the potential harms and negative impacts of the anti-gay constitutional amendment. Business leaders even joined members of the Democratic House Legislative Caucus during their own anti-amendment press conference on September 6, expressing their clear opposition to the legislation, and acknowledging for some business leaders the fact that it is unlikely they would have brought thriving businesses to the state had this particular amendment been written into the state’s founding document at the time of their relocation.

Those outspoken business leaders included Anthony J. Pugliese, Senior Vice President, Finance, Membership & Operations, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and member of the Board of Directors at the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, who said, "The proposed amendment is bad for business. It interferes with our ability to recruit talent and our right to provide competitive benefits to our employees.  It also signals to major employers like ours that our state is not welcoming to the diverse, creative workforce that we need to compete in the global economy. It’s also bad for future business development in the state as we seek top grow our tax base. It is very unlikely we would have ever relocated our global headquarters to the Triangle and hired 450 local employees in 2006 if this amendment had been the law." 

Pugliese will join an array of business leaders on September 13—all in opposition to the ant-gay amendment—and representing the hundreds of other North Carolina business leaders who have signed on to a declaration opposing this legislation.

One of the statement’s prominent business signatories, Bob Page, Founder & CEO, Replacements, Ltd. in Greensboro, N.C., has also responded to the pro-discrimination press conference, pointing to the fact that the vast majority of North Carolinian legislators were elected to help rebuild the state’s sluggish economy and create jobs, not proffer distracting social legislation. Recent polling shows 95% of North Carolinians say the highest priority for the state legislators should be jobs, the economy and the state budget. 

"In the face of the worst economy in 80 years and as our neighbors recover from a devastating hurricane, the General Assembly is considering a Constitutional amendment that may terminate the legal rights of thousands of same- and opposite-sex couples, creating hardships for employers and employees alike,” said Page. “If other workplaces are anything like mine, please join us in saying enough is enough.  As employers, we take our responsibilities to our people seriously.  This is the kind of help from the government that we can least afford. If the legislature’s going to bear the expense of a special session, they should focus on job creation and matters that are important to all North Carolinians.”

The half-hour press conference outlining business and economic harms of the amendment will be immediately followed by the“Rally Against the Anti-Gay Amendment,” on Tuesday, September 13, at noon, on Halifax Mall, just outside of the North Carolina Legislative Building. From the rally, business leaders will be joined by country music superstar Chely Wright, as well as pro-equality people of faith,  youth advocates, veterans, and community leaders—all speaking out alongside thousands of fair-minded North Carolinians in opposition to this legislation.

For more information about the rally, please visit equalitync.org/rally.

The press conference follows the recent release of “The Truth About the Marriage Amendment,” a publication from Equality NC, the statewide LGBT advocacy organization that addresses potential harms caused by the proposed amendment.

The report outlines many of the negative implications of the legislation, including harmful business impacts on public employers’ and private businesses’ ability to offer domestic partner benefits to employees; legal complications for same-sex couples and unmarried couples, including hospital visitation, end-of-life decisions and life insurance policies; and negative impacts on the enforcement of current laws.

“The Truth About the Marriage Amendment” is available at equalitync.org/truth.

Equality NC is a statewide organization working to secure equal rights and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender North Carolinians.

[EDITOR’s NOTE: In addition to local contacts listed above, Equality NC's interim executive director Alex Miller is available for interviews at (919) 619-3360; and NC's Chairman, former Republican National Committee (RNC) National Field Director, RNC Deputy Political Director and North Carolina Republican Party Executive Director Dan Gurley is available for interviews at (919) 747-1178 or dangurley@gmail.com]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 9, 2011

CONTACTS: 

Alex Miller, Interim Executive Director, Equality NC, (919) 349-0936, alex@equalitync.org

Jen Jones, Communications Director, Equality NC, (919) 260-5906, jen@equalitync.org