— State Sen. Tamara Barringer, R-Wake, told WRAL News Tuesday night that she became the first Republican lawmaker to call for the "substantial and immediate" repeal of House Bill 2 due to the measure's "unintended consequences," which have played out over the past six months.

"I did not realize the consequences of this bill, that it would have worldwide consequences, and they just keep piling up," Barringer said. "So, at this point, I'm willing to stand up and say, 'Let's put the brakes on it. Let's get together and find a common solution that we call can live with and move forward.'"

Sen. Tamara Barringer's HB2 statement "Whenever legislative bodies rush to judgment on important public policy decisions, there are unintended consequences. With the most recent announcements impacting our state, there are simply too many examples of very sad and unfortunate ramifications and unintended effects of HB2. "I do not want men or boys legally to be able to share the same locker rooms or bathrooms with my 16-year-old daughter and her classmates or teammates. However, if we want to preserve the proud heritage of North Carolina, it is time for our leadership to consider a substantial and immediate repeal of HB2."

Lawmakers called a special session in March to pass House Bill 2 in response to a Charlotte ordinance that would have allowed transgender individuals to use the bathroom conforming with their gender identity. House Bill 2 reversed that ordinance and went further, implementing a statewide nondiscrimination law that excludes LGBT individuals from protections.

Reaction to the measure has drawn vocal criticism from individuals and businesses nationwide. The latest of the consequences that Barringer spoke of came this week, when the NCAA announced it would withdraw seven college championship series from the state. Barringer's district includes Cary, which expects to lose about $2 million in economic activity as a result fo the NCAA's move.

She said it was not the lone reasons for her decision.

"It was just one more of those unintended consequences," Barringer said. "Again, it's reflecting wrong on the people of North Carolina. We are a people that have been together. We're a people of innovation. We're a people of inclusivity, not exclusivity. It's giving the world, it's giving the rest of the country, the wrong idea about North Carolina."

House Bill 2 House Bill 2 is the shorthand term for the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, a measure that deals with LGBT rights. State lawmakers passed the bill in response to the Charlotte City Council creating an ordinance that required businesses to allow transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their choice. While House Bill 2 effectively struck down that ordinance, it went further. While it doesn't set policy for private businesses directly, the measure requires governments, including public school districts and the University of North Carolina system, to require transgender individuals to use the bathroom corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificates, even if that doesn't correspond to how they live now. The measure also sets a statewide nondiscrimination policy, but that policy excludes LGBT people. Because the bill requires all local governments to follow state policy, it effectively negates local contracting policies and ordinances meant to protect LGBT people. One piece of House Bill 2 that dealt with suing in state court for discrimination on a number of fronts, including on the basis of race or age, was rolled back by a law passed in the summer of 2016. House Bill 2 is now the subject of a number of federal lawsuits as well as ongoing controversy. The NBA cited the measure when it pulled its 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte, as did the NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference when they shifted a number of college championship series out of the state. Lawmakers attempted to pass a repeal bill in December of 2016, but that effort fell apart amid finger pointing between legislative Republicans, the Charlotte City Council and then-Governor-Elect Roy Cooper.

Barringer's position puts her at odds with virtually every other Republican lawmaker and statewide elected official. Although a handful of Democratic lawmakers supported the bill, most Democrats have raised objections, and many have made repeal a central part of their campaigns.

Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican seeking election to a second term, has vocally defended the bill and has criticized his Democratic rival, Attorney General Roy Cooper, for not doing more to protect the legislation from challenge by the federal government.

Barringer also faces re-election. Her state Senate district covers Wake County's southwestern corner, a suburban swath of territory that juts up to Interstate 400 in Raleigh and, in many respects, is far less socially conservative than the state's rural counties.

Susan Evans, Barringer's Democratic rival, accused the Republican of changing positions based on political expedience rather than any profound change of heart.

"A vote is a vote. When she voted for HB2 in March, Sen. Barringer knew what she was doing," said Dustin Ingalls, Evans' campaign manager. "Only now that she's in danger of losing her seat does she waffle. Her latest change of mind is certainly not a change of heart. It's a purely political move designed to make voters forget that she is responsible for the loss of jobs and millions of dollars in economic investment in her district."

Barringer insisted it has been the constant drumbeat of opprobrium rather than political considerations that moved her to speak out.

"This is not a political issue, it's a public policy issue," Barringer said.

Asked whether other Republicans were likely to join her, she said, "I have not talked to leadership, and I've not talked to other Republicans. But I do hope that they will listen because this is important. It's important to North Carolina, it's important to our citizens. We need to fix this, work this out and move forward."