What it does

This amendment would permanently cap North Carolina's income tax rate at 3.5% in the state constitution, down from the current 7% cap. NC's rate is already scheduled to drop to 3.49% under current law — so this amendment doesn't actually lower your taxes. What it does is prevent any future legislature from raising revenue, no matter what North Carolina faces.

WHY VOTE NO

It solves a problem that doesn't exist

The income tax rate is already dropping to 3.49% in 2027 by existing law. Lawmakers don't need a constitutional amendment to keep taxes low — they already have that power. The NC Budget and Tax Center notes that "the real purpose of this amendment is not to create a limit. The purpose is to make today's tax-cut agenda much harder for future voters and lawmakers to undo."

It could cost NC more than $14 billion a year

According to the NC Budget and Tax Center, this cap would block the state from generating over $14 billion in annual public revenue — money that currently funds schools, teachers, child care, health care, infrastructure, and disaster recovery.

Two-thirds of the tax cuts go to the wealthiest

The NC Budget and Tax Center found that two-thirds of personal income tax cuts benefit the richest 20% of North Carolinians. And $9 out of every $10 in corporate tax breaks leave the state entirely, going to out-of-state shareholders and executives.

It handcuffs future leaders during emergencies

Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake) warned it "permanently handcuffs the General Assembly's responsibility for passing fiscally sound, responsible budgets." After Hurricane Helene, we know NC needs revenue flexibility for disaster recovery.

Other taxes could go up to compensate

As Senate Democratic leader Sydney Batch noted: "We are going to be stuck at 3.5% in one of the fastest-growing states in the entire country... If you start seeing the increase in sales taxes, that's really going to hit consumers in their pocketbooks."

What it does

Would give the NC General Assembly the power to cap how much local governments like our county commissioners, school board, city council can raise property taxes. The amendment doesn't specify any limit; it just hands that power to state legislators in Raleigh, stripping it from our locally elected officials.

WHY VOTE NO:

It strips power from local elected officials

NC Newsline reports this "would mark a significant change" by transferring a power "almost exclusively in the hands of local elected officials" to the state legislature. Our Transylvania County commissioners — not politicians in Raleigh — should make decisions about local services.

Republicans created the problem they're now blaming on counties

House Democratic leader Robert Reives was direct: "For years, they have pushed state responsibilities like public safety and school funding onto counties and now fault them for providing basic services to their residents." Cuts to state education and public safety funding have forced counties to raise property taxes to fill the gap.

It could force cuts to schools, fire departments, and public health

School districts statewide are already facing budget crunches. Adding state-mandated property tax limits could force further cuts to schools, libraries, fire departments, and public health programs that communities depend on.

Counties are deeply concerned

Carolina Public Press reports that NC counties have raised significant concerns, warning that "one size doesn't fit all." What makes sense for Mecklenburg County may devastate Transylvania County's ability to fund local services.

The amendment is deliberately vague

It doesn't tell voters what limits would be imposed — just that the legislature will decide later. You'd be voting to give up local control without knowing the terms.

Senate Bill 1081

What it does

Would add a "right to farm" to the NC Constitution, guaranteeing the right to grow crops, raise livestock, harvest timber, and other agricultural activities. The catch: North Carolina already has a right-to-farm law — one of the first in the nation, passed in 1979, and strengthened significantly in 2017 and 2018.

WHY VOTE NO:

North Carolina already has a right-to-farm law

NC has protected farmers since 1979. The law was amended in 2017 and 2018 specifically to limit nuisance lawsuits — after Smithfield Foods faced legal liability for pollution from hog operations. Even WUNC confirmed that this new amendment "would not provide further restrictions on nuisance lawsuits" beyond what's already in place.

Even supporters can't explain what it changes

When Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Buncombe) asked the bill's sponsor directly what the amendment would actually change, she noted: "I'm just curious why we're doing this. Normally what we do changes something, right?" The sponsor couldn't point to any specific threat to farming.

It could protect corporate agribusiness at neighbors' expense

The history here matters: the 2017 and 2018 right-to-farm amendments were passed in direct response to lawsuits against Smithfield Foods from neighbors suffering from hog waste pollution. Environmental and community groups challenged those laws, arguing they stripped neighbors of their property rights and their right to a jury trial. Elevating these protections to the constitution could further shield industrial agriculture from accountability.

Small family farmers in Transylvania County are not under attack

Sen. Brent Jackson, who sponsored the bill, cited no specific threat. Western NC's small farms, orchards, and Christmas tree operations are not facing the kind of litigation this amendment is designed to address. This amendment is primarily about protecting large industrial operations.

What it does

Would add "right to work" language to the NC Constitution, saying workers cannot be required to join a union to get or keep a job. That exact language has been state law since 1947. This amendment changes nothing about current law — it only makes it harder to change in the future, even if voters someday want to.

WHY VOTE NO:

It's already the law — word for word

The amendment's exact language has been codified in NC state law since 1947. There is no immediate threat to right-to-work status in North Carolina. No bill has passed or is pending to change it. This is a solution looking for a problem.

It permanently strips workers of future bargaining power

By locking this into the constitution, it takes the question out of the hands of future voters entirely. If working conditions, wages, or economic realities change, future generations of North Carolinians would be unable to adjust their labor laws through the normal democratic process.

It's about weakening workers, not protecting them

Right-to-work laws reduce workers' ability to organize and bargain collectively for better wages and safer conditions. Research consistently shows wages are lower in right-to-work states. Enshrining this in the constitution is a long-term win for corporate interests over working families.

NC already bans public employee collective bargaining

North Carolina is one of the only states that already bans collective bargaining for public employees. This amendment piles on additional constitutional restrictions that serve no practical purpose beyond political signaling.