A number of organizations, including the N.C. NAACP, Democracy North Carolina, ACLU of North Carolina and North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections have united to oppose all six of the proposed amendments to the North Carolina Constitution, a “nix the six” campaign.
Most folks don’t have the time to research this, so I’ll just say why we will be voting against all of the six amendments. We quote the state Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement titles to each proposed amendment.
1. “Right to hunt and fish”: We already have the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife. But beware of unintended consequences. This could cost private property owners their right to control hunting and fishing on their land.
2. “Changes to current victims’ rights”: “Victims’ rights” is a dangerously vague term to enshrine in our state constitution. This product of a California billionaire’s national campaign could actually delay justice for victims and cost tens of millions of dollars per year to implement. If victims need help, enact laws; don’t mess with our state constitution.
3. “Cap maximum state income tax at 7%”: Nobody wants to pay taxes, but sometimes an income tax is the most efficient and fairest way to raise money statewide for needed programs (think hurricanes and floods). Where will the money come if a future emergency demands a response? The only ready alternatives are increasing property and sales taxes. Don’t distort our tax system.
4. “Require photographic identification to vote”: This is an effort to legalize further legislative experiments with voter suppression laws. Such shenanigans have already cost taxpayers millions in legal fees. This proposal aims at disenfranchising students, and disabled, veteran and elderly voters.
5. “Legislature to control judicial appointments”: Whatever happened to the ideas of divided government and checks and balances — bedrock ideas on which our constitutional democracy is founded? This proposal would undermine one branch of state government (the judicial) to aggrandize another (the legislature), and bring us one step closer to ending voters’ rights to elect judges.
6. “Party leaders in legislature to control ethics and elections board appointments; eliminate nonpartisan representation on board”: North Carolina already has a nine-member, bipartisan state elections board. This amendment would reduce it to eight members (four from each party) and thereby create gridlock, something of which we already have enough. Also note that a prior version of this law was declared unconstitutional by North Carolina’s Supreme Court.
In summary, these are the reasons why we are voting against all six amendments: Either “it’s not broke, so don’t fix it” (the hunting/fishing amendment); “it’ll make things worse while not fixing what’s wrong” (the victims’ rights amendment); or “it’s destroying our balanced government” (amendments 3–6). We’d rather see government work more efficiently and not waste our tax dollars.
— Lynn and Carol Hogue
Bryson City
Blatant LIES about Voter ID. Nothing could be further from the truth. Beware of EVIL progressive democrackkks on this one. Do you want a nonqualified, non registered voter cancelling out YOUR vote? http://www.VoterIntegrityProject.com founded because of all the voter fraud across the country! Jan Delancy, the founder is a hero from NC !!!
70+% of the citizens support photo VOTER ID in NC !!! don’t be stupid.
Jay Delancy is a grifter and a crank. In-person voter fraud is a myth. Voter suppression is a reality.
In broader terms, the NCGA should not be granted any more powers until it is elected on the basis of fair, independently-determined districts.
leave it to Luther to denigrate an American Patriot and military commander such as Jay Delancy, founder of the Voter Integrity Project …
There is no voter suppression. Only in the mind of a stupid lieberal progressive… Voter Fraud is very real across the country…but that is changing…
You DO realize how effed up the NC voter rolls were after 16 years of NC democrackkk Larry Leake as SBOE chairman, don’t you??? HE was a big reason for Voter Integrity in NC !!!
“Voter Fraud is very real across the country”
[citation needed]
Don’t try the argument that it’s there and just hasn’t been found. It’s hooey. You seem to like hooey.
The large print giveth, and the fine print taketh away!
The first 3 Amendments are all “Motherhood and Apple Pie”. Who’s going to vote against a Right to Hunt and Fish, or Victims Rights, or Low Taxes? Very few people. This is the large print.
Amendments 4-6 are the fine print on this contract: sheer power plays by the NCGA to weaken the Governor and suppress voting. All of the living Governors, from both parties, have come out against these Amendments.
It’s shameless, but you can’t expect anything else from the NCGA. They’re betting that NC voters are a bunch of rubes who won’t read the fine print on the contract. “Well those first 3 Amendments look good, I guess all 6 are okay.”
Don’t fall for it. Nix all Six.
Congratulations you just inspired every Republican to vote for all the amendments.
Democrats also oppose jumping off tall buildings.
Here’s the thing: Not a single one of these items is worth amending the constitution for, regardless of party affiliation. They’re either “gingerbread,” like the hunting, fishing or partisan- like the boards- or shortsighted and misleading, like the income tax cap (in no way does it reduce taxes now, they’re already less than 7%).
Ahhh… Mike is a candle in the darkness. They make sense for no one, including, and maybe even especially, Republicans. Half are empty gestures, and the rest play to very short term political expediency which will most likely end up biting state Republicans on the rear end once things “flip” in Raleigh (and they will flip). Under any circumstances though, the state constitution isn’t the appropriate playground for such games.