June 2, 2026

Proposed Constitutional Amendments Coming in November

Hello Indivisible Citizens of Catawba Valley,

It’s another Take Action Tuesday from the ICCV Legislative Committee. This week we will focus on the North Carolina Constitution and potential amendments this year.

But first, here is a quick update on the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE). We talked about the first set of proposed rules, concerning non-citizen voting, back in February. Despite over 15,000 public comments overwhelmingly opposing those rules, the NCSBE approved the rules along party lines. On Thursday, May 28, the rules were brought to the Rules Review Commission (RRC) for approval. Again, despite the public comments previously submitted and new comments submitted to the Rules Review Commission, the RRC approved them. The somewhat good news is that there were enough letters of objection to require legislative review of the rules, which may not happen in this legislative session. We will have more on election rules next week. 

We are hearing and reading about multiple constitutional amendments that may be on the ballot in November. We will discuss each one in detail in future alerts. The proposal that is generating great anxiety, anger, and much discussion is  H 1232: Const. Amend./Life at Fertilization.https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2025/9070/0/DRH10579-NJy-55  Because this is such a hot topic, we chose to discuss it in some detail, and hopefully, allay some fears. The good news is it is NOT likely to make it to the ballot. The bad news is that it is distracting people from other proposed legislation. 

Sponsored by Representative Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort), the bill would create a constitutional amendment stating that life begins at fertilization, and that ending a pregnancy after fertilization amounts to murder. The potential impacts would extend far beyond abortion to certain types of contraception, IVF, even care following a miscarriage. A second sponsor, Rep. Ben Moss (R-Richmond) removed his name from the bill after public backlash. https://ncnewsline.com/2026/05/27/nc-gop-lawmaker-removes-name-from-anti-abortion-bill-after-social-media-outcry/

We understand that Rep. Kidwell introduces similar legislation every year. It is considered so politically toxic that it is unlikely to make it through the legislative process. Currently the bill is sitting in committee, where it will probably stay. https://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/article315906486.html

Per the News and Observer, Rep. Kidwell lost his primary in March, so will be out of the legislature in 2027. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article315906111.html

We will continue to monitor this and update you if it moves further. 

WHAT TO DO

  1. Please feel free to share this information with your family and friends. 

  2. Reassure yourself and others that the likelihood of this bill passing is very low. Share the above information. 

  3. Contact your state legislators and tell them that you do not support legislation that further erodes reproductive rights.

HOW TO DO IT

To find and contact your state legislators, go to

https://www.ncleg.gov/FindYourLegislators

Enter your home address to link to contacts for your NC Senator and Representative.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

There are two processes by which the North Carolina Constitution can be amended. The first is by constitutional convention. A convention can only be called when 75% of the members of both chambers, the State House and Senate, vote in favor of doing so. 

The second process is when the amendment comes about through legislative initiative. In this instance, which is what is happening this year, sixty percent of all members of both the House and the Senate must vote to bring the proposed amendment to the people by ballot initiative. The text of the amendment does not appear on the ballot; simply a description that could be misleading.  If a majority of voters, or 50% plus 1 vote, approve the description of the amendment that appears on the ballot, it becomes part of the state constitution on January 1 of the following year.  https://www.ncleg.gov/Laws/Constitution/Article13

Thank you for everything you do to protect our democracy! 

ICCV Legislative Committee           

“With Liberty and Justice for ALL”