North Carolina Republicans Pass Surprise Amendment to Repeal Jim Crow-Era Voting RestrictionsNorth Carolina Republicans Pass Surprise Amendment to Repeal Jim Crow-Era Voting Restrictions On Thursday, the North Carolina House of Representatives unanimously approved a constitutional amendment to repeal Jim Crow-era literacy testing rules. The vote passed with a margin of 109-0. Literacy testing was used for decades to prevent Black North Carolinians and other minorities from voting. Despite being made unenforceable by the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, the rules remained enshrined in the state constitution. In 1970, state lawmakers proposed an amendment to eliminate the rules, but voters chose to keep them in place. Lawmakers have not attempted to put the repeal up for a vote since then, fearing that it would fail again and embarrass the state. However, this week’s surprise proposal has changed that. If approved by the Senate and put before voters this fall, it would be North Carolina’s first attempt to repeal the rules since the failed 1970 amendment. The repeal of these discriminatory rules is a significant step toward addressing North Carolina’s racist past and ensuring equal access to voting rights for all citizens.
North Carolina House Republicans stumbled again Thursday in their attempt to pass two new constitutional amendments that were set to come to a vote this fall. But they also approved a surprise proposal at the last minute to repeal a part of the state constitution with a racist history.
The vote to approve a constitutional amendment repealing Jim Crow-era literacy testing rules passed unanimously, 109-0.
If approved now by the Senate and put before voters this fall, it would be North Carolina’s first attempt to repeal the rules — which have been abused for decades to prevent Black North Carolinians and other minorities from being allowed votes – since a failed attempt 54 years ago.
Although North Carolina’s literacy test rules were made unenforceable by the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, they are still enshrined in the state constitution. State lawmakers proposed a constitutional amendment in 1970 asking voters to get rid of the rules, but the state’s voters chose to keep the rules in place.
Lawmakers never tried to put the repeal up for a vote again. Privately, politicians on both sides of the aisle have long expressed fears that such a vote would fail again and embarrass the state.
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