The General Assembly - November 27th

CHARLOTTE, NC- The General Assembly will return to Raleigh on Tuesday, November 27, to continue the 2018 short session. The special session agenda anticipates legislature to discuss the Voter ID constitutional amendments approved during the 2018 election Voters approved four constitutional amendments this year.

Republican leadership called the General Assembly back for a lame duck session to pass enacting legislation for Voter ID. Newly elected legislators will not be installed until the 2019 session begins in January.

In 2013, the Republican super-majority passed House Bill 1092, requiring voters to provide photo identification before voting at the polls became session law on June 29, 2018. The US Supreme Court struck down North Carolina’s voter ID law in 2016 after the court ruled it was intentionally designed by lawmakers with "discriminatory intent” to disenfranchise minority voters. This law excluded common forms of photo identification like student IDs, workplace IDs, public benefit IDs, and most expired IDs. The Voter ID amendment approved in November does not specify what type of IDs will qualify, but will be determined during the extra session.

“The voters have spoken in support of a new voter ID law and a new legislature,” said Senator Joyce Waddell. “Given the Republican leadership’s track record on targeting minority voters, it is important that we wait until the 2019 session begins to pass this legislation.”