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The Party Line is dedicated to examining regional issues and policies through the figures who give shape to them. These are critical, complex, and even downright confusing times we live in. There’s a lot to navigate nationally and in the Carolinas; whether it’s elections, debates on gay marriage, public school closings, or tax incentives for economic development. The Party Line’s goal is to offer a provocative, intelligent look at the issues and players behind the action; a view that ultimately offers the necessary insight for Carolina voters to hold public servants more accountable.

The Dueling Resolutions About U.S. Constitutional Amendments

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On Wednesday, two joint resolutions will be introduced in the North Carolina House. They both make reference to Article five of the U.S. Constitution but that’s where the similarities end.

Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution lays out just how the document can be amended. And there are two ways to do that. One is by having two-thirds of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate propose an amendment. The other is by having two-thirds of states do the same.

Here’s where House Joint Resolution 44 comes in. It states that North Carolina calls for a constitutional convention over amendments that “impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress.”

This would stand until the end of 2026 to allow other states to do the same.

But House Joint Resolution 52 says not so fast. Citing other ways the Constitution can be amended and noting that document has been found to be a “sound document which protects the lives and liberties of the citizens,” this resolution would rescind any and all calls for a constitutional convention submitted by North Carolina.

Tom Bullock decided to trade the khaki clad masses and traffic of Washington DC for Charlotte in 2014. Before joining WFAE, Tom spent 15 years working for NPR. Over that time he served as everything from an intern to senior producer of NPR’s Election Unit. Tom also spent five years as the senior producer of NPR’s Foreign Desk where he produced and reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Egypt, Libya, Lebanon among others. Tom is looking forward to finally convincing his young daughter, Charlotte, that her new hometown was not, in fact, named after her.