N.C. Constitution Coverage

Fact check: Are atheists 'prohibited from holding office' in North Carolina and 7 other states?
A popular Instagram post says atheists are prohibited from holding office in North Carolina and seven other states. PolitiFact finds there's some truth to that claim.

Lawmakers try again to remove literacy test, a Jim Crow relic, from NC constitution
North Carolina's constitution still requires a literacy test for voting, a Jim Crow-era tactic used to exclude Black voters. NC voters in 1970 refused to remove it. State House lawmakers want to try again in 2022.

House panel OKs regulations for alcoholic foods
The House Judiciary 2 committee takes up a bill to regulate foods that contain alcohol and a proposed amendment to delete a literacy test for voting from the state constitution.

North Carolina lawmakers hope to repeal voter literacy test
North Carolina's constitution still includes an unenforceable relic of the Jim Crow era -- a voter literacy test. Some state lawmakers are trying, again, to do away with it.

CBC OPINION
Editorial: Keep N.C. courts independent; judges impartial
Friday, Oct. 16, 2020 -- North Carolina needs independent judges who: Know the law and follow the Constitution; Use that knowledge and understanding to apply it fairly - regardless of the plaintiffs or defendants; Are elected to office on a non-partisan basis and have the opportunity of publicly funded campaigns.

CBC OPINION
Editorial: With agreement on facts, now implement solutions to bring quality education to all
Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 -- Superior Court Judge David Lee will have the opportunity to determine if North Carolina is moving properly in the agreed-upon direction. Then the General Assembly will need to pass the laws to fulfill the order. All North Carolinians will be able to watch and see if their legislators provide the means to be sure every child gets access to the quality education our State Constitution is supposed to guarantee.

CBC OPINION
Editorial: Judge offers N.C. a chance to get voter ID law right
Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 -- Instead of predictable partisan outrage, North Carolina's legislative leaders should welcome federal judge Loretta Bigg's decision to temporarily delay implementation of a new law requiring voters produce photo identification at the polling place before they cast their ballots next year. Rather than personally attacking the judge for being "unelected" or "activist," the General Assembly's leadership should embrace the judge's go-slow and get-it-right approach.

CBC OPINION
Editorial: Tillman offers 'EXHIBIT A' of illegal gerrymandered congressional maps
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 -- When the courts look to the motivation behind the latest version of North Carolina's 13 congressional districts, the lecture from state Sen. Jerry Tillman will be EXHIBIT A. The legislative majority's goal in creating the latest version of congressional districts was, to paraphrase another legislator's now famous words, if they couldn't draw districts to give the legislature's majority party a 10-3 advantage, they'd draw them to give the party an 8-5 majority.

Remnant of Jim Crow era remains in NC constitution
In the national debate over race and racism, people sometimes forget how recently racial discrimination was written into the law. In North Carolina, it still is.

Literacy test remains part of NC constitution, but lawmakers want to get rid of it
In the national debate over race and racism, people sometimes forget how recently racial discrimination was written into the law. In North Carolina, it still is.

Court sides with legislature: Amendment language OK
A unanimous three-judge panel turns back Gov. Roy Cooper's argument that ballot language is misleading, appeal likely to Supreme Court.

Three proposed constitutional amendments on deck this week
Legislative leaders said last week they might roll out as many as a half-dozen constitutional amendments for the November ballot. The first three are now public.

Values group dings McCrory over constitutional claims
The N.C. Values Coalition contrasts Gov. Pat McCrory's bid to preserve his constitutional powers against his stance on North Carolina's marriage amendment.

US Supreme Court cases unlikely to impact NC marriage amendment
The U.S. Supreme Court is going to review two important cases with regard to same sex marriage law, but legal experts say it's unlikely their rulings would be sweeping enough to directly impact North Carolina's recently passed constitutional amendment.