NC Republicans File Four Constitutional Amendments for November Ballot
Four GOP-backed constitutional amendments could appear on November’s ballot, including farming rights, union restrictions, and tax caps.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina Republican legislative leaders filed two new constitutional amendments Thursday, bringing the total to four proposed amendments aimed at appearing on this fall’s ballot to attract conservative voters.
The latest amendments, Senate Bill 1081 and Senate Bill 1082, were filed in the state Senate and scheduled for a Monday meeting of the Senate Agriculture committee. Senate Bill 1081 would guarantee North Carolinians the constitutional right “to engage in farming and forestry,” while Senate Bill 1082 would establish a constitutional “right to work” by banning any requirement to join a labor union or organization.
Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the reasoning behind the proposed amendments, according to NC Newsline.
Income Tax Cap and Property Tax Limits
A third constitutional amendment, Senate Bill 1080, emerged as part of the budget deal announced earlier this week by Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall. This amendment would cap the state’s income tax at 3.5 percent beginning in 2027 and is scheduled for a hearing in Senate Finance on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, state House Republicans are supporting House Bill 1089, a constitutional amendment to impose limits on property tax increases. The measure will likely reach the House floor for consideration next week.
Strategy Mirrors 2018 Midterm Elections
All four amendments, if passed by the legislature, would appear on the November 3 ballot. Political observers note similarities to Republican strategy during the 2018 midterm elections.
“The cynic in me says this is just an attempt to ramp up Republican votes in the fall,” said David McLennan, Meredith Poll director and political scientist. “The right to farm? I don’t know what that really means … there’s no big threat to it.”
McLennan pointed to 2018, when Republicans faced a potential blue wave in midterm elections following Trump’s first presidency and responded by placing six constitutional amendments on the ballot to drive conservative turnout.
The timing of the filings suggests Republican leaders are working to finalize their ballot strategy before the legislative session advances further. The Agriculture committee’s Monday meeting represents an accelerated timeline for the farming and right-to-work amendments, while the property tax and income tax measures follow separate committee schedules.
Constitutional amendments in North Carolina require approval from both legislative chambers before appearing on the ballot for voter consideration.
