RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The Latest on the North Carolina General Assembly considering proposed amendments to the state constitution (all times local):
6:45 p.m.
There’s another question going on North Carolina ballots this fall now that the legislature has finalized a proposed constitutional amendment to shift appointment powers over the state elections board from the governor to the General Assembly.
The Senate voted late Wednesday for a measure that would ask voters to decide who should control the ethics and elections board. The House already approved it Tuesday.
The question stems from recent litigation between the Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in which the state Supreme Court ruled in Cooper’s favor.
If voters support the referendum, other language would be added stating the legislature controls the appointments and duties of any board or commission it creates.
The General Assembly already has agreed to submit two other proposed amendments to voters - one enshrining the right to hunt and fish and the other to expand crime victims’ rights.
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5:50 p.m.
A proposal to lower the maximum income tax rate that could be levied in North Carolina has received initial House approval, but only after Republicans in the chamber eased how much that reduction should be.
The Senate approved legislation in 2017 to lower the income tax cap in the state constitution from 10 percent to 5.5 percent. But House Rules Chairman David Lewis says several House Republicans couldn’t support the size of that reduction. So the proposed constitutional amendment was changed to 7 percent and it got 73 votes - one more than required.
The measure needs another affirmative House vote before it returns to the Senate, where it’s unclear if there are enough votes to support 7 percent. Any approved proposal would be submitted to voters.
GOP lawmakers say lowering the cap will help preserve recent tax cuts, but critics say it would hamstring future lawmakers in closing budget shortfalls.
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2:15 p.m.
A proposal to alter how vacancies to North Carolina trial and appeals court judgeships are filled is just one vote away from going on ballots statewide this November in a referendum.
The House gave its initial approval to the idea Wednesday with exactly 72 affirmative votes - the minimum required to advance constitutional amendments like this one. A final House vote could come Thursday.
The Senate already backed the legislation. If North Carolina voters agree, the governor would no longer have the sole power on appointments. The amendment would create nonpartisan commissions to evaluate nominees and forward them to the legislature. The General Assembly would recommend at least two of those nominees to the governor, who would have to pick from those recommended.
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