(RALEIGH) -- A House judicial subcommittee opened the floor for public comment on North Carolina's Racial Justice Act. The debate came as lawmakers consider a proposed repeal of the law.

Rep. Larry Womble is against rolling back the law. "The people of North Carolina cannot ignore the fact that race and discrimination still plays a role in life and death trials.  This is why we must uphold, we must extend and we must keep the Racial Justice Act as it is now," said Womble.

Several district attorneys spoke out in favor of repealing the law. Seth Edwards, president of the North Carolina Association of District Attorneys said race plays no role in who did what to whom. "I can assure you that in these capital murder cases these cases are about the actions of the defendant.  They are not about the race of the defendant.  They are not about the race of the victim," said Edwards.

The law, enacted in 2009, allows those convicted and sentenced to the death penalty to give evidence of racial bias in that conviction before a judge. Democratic lawmakers who are behind the Racial Justice Act have openly said that Republicans who disagree with it are taking the opportunity, now that they hold legislative leadership, to re-work the legislation.  Prosecutors contend that death row inmates will use the act to clog the judicial system and delay their cases.