Plain English Summary
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow North Carolina citizens to directly propose changes to the state constitution through a petition and voting process, rather than requiring the General Assembly to propose all amendments. Citizens would need signatures from at least 8% of recent gubernatorial voters (with at least 3% from each congressional district) to place an amendment on the ballot, and the amendment would need 60% voter approval to pass.
Arguments in Favor
Supporters argue this gives citizens a direct democratic voice when the General Assembly blocks reforms that majorities want, breaking the legislature's monopoly on proposing constitutional changes. They contend that high signature requirements (8% with geographic distribution) and a supermajority approval threshold (60%) provide adequate safeguards against frivolous or extreme proposals, while still enabling necessary structural reforms that elected officials may resist.
Arguments Against
Opponents worry that direct amendment initiatives could lead to frequent, incremental constitutional changes that undermine the document's stability and coherence as a foundational legal instrument. They also argue that signature gathering, petition verification, and ballot language can be manipulated or misleading, and that even with high thresholds, well-funded special interests could use this process to bypass the deliberative legislative process designed to protect minority rights.
AI-generated analysis based on bill text. Always verify with official sources at ncleg.gov. This is not legal or political advice.
Sponsors
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 112
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 40
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 98
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 60
Cosponsors (12)
Representative · District 39
Representative · District 115
Representative · District 72
Representative · District 71
Representative · District 41
Representative · District 50
Representative · District 61
Representative · District 100
Representative · District 36
Representative · District 88
Representative · District 57
Representative · District 101