"Inside HB2 author's legislative emails on LGBT issues"; Rep. Dan Bishop and some of his contributors

"The architect of the state’s controversial law to stop cities from extending non-discrimination protection to gay and transgender people insists no amount of protests and pressure could convince him to back down or soften his stance. And, when that architect — Rep. Dan Bishop — isn’t debating the merits of the law known as House Bill 2 with constituents and critics, he is championing and celebrating those who support the measure.

HB2 had four primary sponsors, 

the most vocal of those, Rep. Dan Bishop of Mecklenburg County, 

did not return calls inquiring about who pushed for that provision.

“I don’t fear man. I fear God. So I won’t be backing down,” Bishop (R-Mecklenburg) stated in a message he sent to a Charlotte man who implored the lawmaker not to allow persistent opposition to the law to lead to concessions.

LAWRENCE MOORE

ATTORNEY

ROBINSON BRADSHAW & HINSON PA

2105 E 8TH ST

CHARLOTTE, NC 28204

...The best hope is that (N.C. Senate President Pro Tempore) Phil Berger has nerves of steel, and because of that, I am pretty confident that the Senate will not be changing that law. At least not in this session.”

HOWARD C BISSELL

CHAIRMAN

BISSELL COMPANIES

11715 NORTH COMMUNITY HOUSE RD

CHARLOTTE, NC 28211

$2,000.00

Bishop wrote those words on April 5, hours after tech firm PayPal announced it was abandoning plans to bring 400 jobs to Charlotte...

RICHARD VINROOT

ATTORNEY

ROBINSON BRADSHAW & HINSON PA

325 CHEROKEE PL

CHARLOTTE, NC 28207-2301

...At times defiant and combative and, at others, aggrieved and heartened, Bishop states his case forcefully in the exchanges provided by his office in response to a public records request by the Charlotte Business Journal.

STEVE CORNWELL

INVESTOR

CORNWELL INDUSTRIES

2101 QUEENS RD EAST

CHARLOTTE, NC 28207

$2,000.00

Bishop is a former county commissioner and local attorney who won his first term in the N.C. House in 2014. This year, he is running for the seat that will be vacated by state Sen. Bob Rucho (R-Mecklenburg), who is retiring.

STEFAN GLEASON

MARKETING

ASCENSION MARKETING GROUP

PO BOX 49246

CHARLOTTE, NC 28277

$5,100.00

...An aide to Bishop initially declined the request for emails and records related to HB2 asserting that " it is the view of the General Assembly central staff that public records law does not apply to contact between legislators and constituents.” He cited no specific exemptions from N.C. public records statutes...

MICHAEL KAHN

SPORTS TEAM OWNER

CHARLOTTE CHECKERS

8046 EAGLE GLEN WAY

CHARLOTTE, NC 28210

$5,100.00

...Buchan and the CBJ are still pursuing any additional communications that were not included in Bishop’s response this week. They have again asked Bishop to cite any legal authority supporting his position that these are not public records under N.C. law. The paper has also sought records from the city of Charlotte, Sen. Rucho, Sen. Berger (R-Rockingham) and Rep. Chris Srgo (D-Guilford).

MARYANN LARGEN

COO

MED EMPORIUM, LLC

5725 OLD WELL HOUSE RD

CHARLOTTE, NC 28226

$5,100.00

"The North Carolina Public Records Act says documents made or received in connection with the transaction of public business are ‘the property of the people,’” Buchan said. “I’m aware of no statutory exemption or legislative privilege for the records sought by the Charlotte Business Journal. I’ve asked Rep. Bishop to cite the specific legal basis for claiming these records are not required to be made available to the public, but so far he has not provided that.”

ROBERT GALLAGHER

PUBLISHER

GOOD WILL PUBLISHERS, INC.

4130 MOORLAND DR

CHARLOTTE, NC 28226

$1,000.00

...in his view, it doesn’t hurt LGBT people or anyone else — the messages provided include scant communication with fellow lawmakers or any other politicians.

...Roberts, the Charlotte mayor, whom Bishop urged not to support the ordinance passed in February, doesn’t appear as a sender or recipient of any of the emails.

...In many instances, emails from those backing the state law praise Bishop and his Republican allies in the General Assembly for adhering to Christian values and protecting women and children by preventing public restroom use in government buildings and schools based on gender identity.

...UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law professor Judith Welch Wegner sent Bishop a blistering message in April in which she blamed “the state of hate that you and fellow partisans have created” for her decision to leave the university next year. Wegner, dean of the law school from 1989 to 1999, reminded Bishop that she taught him property law at UNC.

The subject line of her email includes the phrase “disowning you as a former student.”

Bishop did not respond, though he did forward the message with a cryptic remark: “On official email account no less.”

...“Stop being intimidated and extorted by the political correct police because there is no telling where this ends and the damage to our state and country. The large corporations are more concerned about offending the left wing extremists, their reputation and profits then (sic) they are about the rights of millions of woman (sic) and children...

Added Bishop: “Business skittishness is entirely the result of false media reports and activist grip on big corporations.”

...Some of Bishop’s most withering responses and criticism often involve reporters and media stories about HB 2. In April, ProPublica reporter Nina Martin emailed Bishop to tell him that her story on HB 2 had been posted online.

“Thanks for letting me know,” Bishop responded. “I read it. Confirmed my expectations that you would misrepresent the situation. So be it.”

Exchanges with The Charlotte Observer include assertions of inaccuracies in some coverage.

Randy Broome, a Charlotte economic development consultant and self-described minor contributor to past Bishop campaigns, argues back and forth with Bishop in a series of messages spanning March to May.

One of the strongest reactions from Bishop follows Broome’s questions about a WRAL-TV “fact check” condemning arguments made by McCrory and other HB2 supporters.

Broome mentioned WRAL questioned “some of the things you presented as facts in our discussion.”

Bishop’s answer? “Their ‘fact check’ is absurdly false. Too time consuming to write the details. I will get to it and distribute in time via (Facebook), like the (Charlotte) Observer falsehood I exposed last night. First, must refute some lies by the ( Raleigh News & Observer). I’m sure all of the lies are coincidental.”

http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2016/06/09/inside-hb2-authors-legislative-emails-on-lgbt.html?ana=RSS%26s%3Darticle_search&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_triad+%28Triad+Business+Journal%29
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Saturday, April 16, 2016; "Rep. Dan Bishop Applauds Overwhelming Passage of the “Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act,” [HB2] Urges Governor McCrory to Sign the Measure" and some of his 2016 campaign contributors, who, by not asking for their money back, are supporters of bigotry and employment discrimination in North Carolina

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/04/rep-dan-bishop-applauds-overwhelming.html

Campaign Finance Results for Committee: BISHOP FOR SENATE

http://cf.ncsbe.gov/cf_rpt_search_org/cf_report_doc_results.aspx?ID=STA-I1750P-C-001&OGID=26591

http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=H&nUserID=698



http://cf.ncsbe.gov/cf_rpt_search_org/cf_report_detail.aspx?RID=138464&TP=REC

http://cf.ncsbe.gov/cf_rpt_search_org/cf_report_detail.aspx?RID=137638&TP=REC

WILLIAM CONN
PRESIDENT
MED EMPORIUM LLC
5401 OLD COURSE DR
CHARLOTTE, NC 28277
$5,000.00

http://cf.ncsbe.gov/cf_rpt_search_org/cf_report_detail.aspx?RID=137634&TP=REC