CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Several state lawmakers from both sides of the aisle held a private strategy meeting with House Speaker Thom Tillis this morning to discuss the recently reintroduced Eugenics Compensation legislation.

Channel 9 has shared the stories of local women who were among the 7,600 North Carolinians sterilized after a state eugenics board deemed they were poor, disabled or unfit many years ago.

Last week, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle reintroduced House Bill 7, which would give living victims of state's sterile sterilization program $50,000 from state funds.

Today, those same advocates met privately to come up with a game plan to prevent the bill and funding from dying in the Senate like it did last year.

House Speaker Thom Tillis held himself personally responsible after its demise. Today, his spokesperson Jordan Shaw told Channel 9 the speaker's strategy to push the bill forward this go round is making sure all lawmakers are educated on the legislation.

Shaw said, "I think it's about making sure that members of the house, members of the Senate understand the history of this movement, understand what the bill would do and what the bill would not do."

Another component of their efforts is to re-energize public awareness and support. This is something already underway at the YWCA Central Carolinas. The agency hosted an open discussion on the topic a few days ago....

CEO Kirsten Sikkelee said, "The community is very interested in understanding this topic. I think most people don't know this was a policy in North Carolina in our living history." Sikkelee also said the YWCA is working online to boost support for the bill.

She said, "We're posting information on Facebook and our website encouraging people to reach out to their elected representatives."

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State lawmakers hold private strategy meeting on Eugenics Compensation