RALEIGH -- As the controversy over House Bill Two continues to rage, a major player in North Carolina politics has a proposal.

Republican donor Art Pope says a blue-ribbon commission should explore the issues surrounding House Bill Two, but only after state lawmakers put a moratorium on the law, and Charlotte rescinds its ordinance.

He says that would be a better alternative to litigating the issue in federal court – a process that could last for years.

“Charlotte could have passed a better statute, or ordinance,” Pope told Capital Tonight host Tim Boyum, in an exclusive interview. “The state of Utah has LGBT protection which narrowly defines transgender identity as being consistent, persistent behavior. That’ll take care of all these issues about men taking advantage of the statute. Charlotte did not use that better language.”

Also, in the interview, Pope says he will not support presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump for president, and he says he will not donate any money to Trump or any Trump-affiliated organizations.

Pope was once North Carolina's state budget director and is the founder of conservative think tanks that give support and money to Republican candidates and causes.