gender identity. More broadly, the law eliminated municipal anti-discrimination policies concerning race, gender, and veteran status or military service, and prohibited municipalities from establishing local minimum wages, benefits, employee protections and leave policies. Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue said "This bill essentially repeals 50 years of non-discrimination efforts and gives lawmakers in Raleigh unprecedented control over our city and local governments." "North Carolina Republicans want to pass what would potentially be the single most discriminatory act in the country. This is a direct affront to equality, civil rights, and local autonomy." McCrory stated that the law was passed in response to the Charlotte City Council on February 22, 2016, passing a non-discrimination ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in public accommodations (including restrooms) or by passenger vehicles for hire or city contractors. McCrory had asked council members not to pass the ordinance. The speaker of the House and lieutenant governor invoked a rarely used constitutional provision to call themselves into session, without McCrory calling it, by collecting sufficient signatures from legislators. On March 23, 2016, the legislature sent the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act to the governor's desk for his signature and McCrory signed the bill on the same evening it passed. The law sparked public protests and motivated entertainers such as Bruce Springsteen to cancel shows. Companies pulled jobs and investments out of the state: PayPal stopped a planned expansion that would have created 400 jobs, Lionsgate moved production of a television show out of North Carolina, Deutsche Bank halted plans to add 250 jobs in the state, and over 160 other companies called for the law's repeal. Several states and cities, including Atlanta, banned official travel to North Carolina. Time Warner Cable News estimated that as of April 22, the law had cost the state over 1750 jobs and over $77 million of investments and visitor spending. On July 21, 2016, the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that it would move the 2017 All-Star game out of Charlotte. The NBA's decision to move the game away from Charlotte outraged Republicans who noted Charlotte was chosen for the All-Star game by the league after the city had voted down a similar ordinance itself. Republicans also noted HB2 had no jurisdiction over private facilities, meaning the league could set any bathroom policy it preferred for games it was to host in Charlotte. September