What is HB2 costing North Carolina?

Wired’s Emma Grey Ellis tallied up the amount North Carolina has lost so far due to it’s HB2 bathroom fixation. The $176,000 taxpayers have spent so far, and additional $500,000 in taxpayer money recently transferred to cover Governor McCrory’s legal fees is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Grand Total

Adding all that up, the total cost to North Carolinians so far from HB2 protests is slightly more than $395 million. That’s more than the GDP of Micronesia. And the bulk of it is from sporting organizations, who even five years ago would likely not have waded into political territory like this. But experts aren’t that surprised that the NBA, NCAA, and ACC have taken this step now. “They’re not out on a limb here,” Durso says. “They’re in line with their base.” The near unanimous outcry against HB2 and in support of the NCAA and ACC confirms that. Legislating discrimination has become an expensive bad habit.