NC House GOP push constitutional amendments on governor’s appointments, elections
North Carolina House Republicans on Wednesday advanced a series of constitutional amendments that would limit the governor’s appointments powers, specify that only citizens can vote and further cement the state’s voter ID requirement.
The amendments dealing with elections would have essentially no tangible impact on state law, but critics have charged they could be a method to drive conservatives to the polls.
The amendment regarding gubernatorial appointments, however, would mark a change with partisan implications as to how vacancies in elected positions on the Council of State are filled.
If approved by voters, the constitutional amendment would require the governor to fill vacancies on the Council of State only from a list of three approved candidates submitted by the political party of the former office holder.
“I think that the voters of North Carolina not only elect a person — but they also elect a political party to serve in that position,” said Rep. Kyle Hall, the amendment’s sponsor.
Under the constitution as currently written, if a Republican member of the Council of State vacated their position, Cooper could replace them with a Democrat. This amendment would ensure that these offices remain held by members of the party that was elected into the position.
The Council of State includes the state treasurer, the attorney general, the secretary of state and other officials elected by voters statewide.
The amendment would not apply to vacancies for the office of governor or lieutenant governor.
The other two amendments would specify that only citizens are allowed to vote in North Carolina and that ID is required for mail-in voting, in addition to in-person voting. Both of these are already the law.
The House gave initial approval to the citizen-voting amendment on Wednesday, overwhelmingly backing the measure with 104 votes in favor and 12 against. An additional vote is required. The other amendments were on the House calendar for a vote on Wednesday. But House Speaker Tim Moore called on them to be withdrawn and to be taken up Thursday.
Senate Republicans have pushed their own versions of the ID and citizen voting amendment, but merged them into one bill also including an amendment that would lower the state’s maximum income tax from 7% to 5%. House Republicans have not filed a version of that amendment, but Rep. Jason Saine, head Republican budget writer, said he would support it. None of these proposals have made it to a floor vote yet.
To send a constitutional amendment to voters, it must first be approved by a supermajority of each chamber of the General Assembly, likely meaning all Republicans will have to be present for it to pass.
The governor does not have a role in approving amendments.
Politics reporter Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi contributed to this report.
Under the Dome
Get the latest news about North Carolina politics from The News & Observer's award-winning team. Get the free digest sent to your inbox by signing up here.
