A couple of interesting articles at Carolina Journal detail some interesting legislation being advanced in Raleigh.
First, an amendment to the NC State Constitution are being proposed to mandate voter ID for all voters– including absentee voters. There is another amendment to place a cap on state income taxes at 5%. These are worthy measures that ought to be placed on the ballot and passed by voters. While I would prefer a complete elimination of the state income tax and replacing it with other means to generate revenue for the state, a 5% constitutional cap would be an improvement.
Finally, a third bill calls for an Article V convention to pass term limits for Congress. Term limits are a good idea but this is the wrong vehicle. Once there is an Article V convention, there will be efforts to change other parts of the US Constitution. Given the fact that the Republicans are almost always patsies, and the socialists tend to run rings around them, it is very risky to open such a convention because the socialists would likely gain the upper hand. They will be more effective and tenacious in pushing their agenda.
That would risk the socialists taking away our constitutional rights and otherwise messing with the various checks and balances built within our founding document. Do you trust the D.C. Republicans to manage and to gain the upper hand at such a convention? Based on their performance over the last 25 years, it would be exceedingly foolhardy to do so.
Don’t open that can of worms.
Yes, Fred. If we had any basis for having confidence with however the Republicans might handle the situation, then the abacus might be different. But we don’t.
I agree with your thinking. Furthermore, while term limits are probably beneficial, their effects on the corrupt dynamic of the fetid Swamp are likely to be small and slow. And finally, the tendency of the Supreme Court has been largely to declare parts of the Constitution unconstitutional. So concentrate your energies on electing any MAGA you can…and on the here and now.
Thanks, Healey. We need to also be mindful that the Constitution is consistently ignored by both the legislative and executive branches at the federal and state levels. Passing new amendments won’t help if they are ignored. Also, term limits for legislatives gives the administrative state even more power. (I still favor term limits, however).