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Committee Hears Support and Opposition for Single‑Subject Requirement for Constitutional Amendments
Summary
Supporters told the House Government and Veterans Affairs Committee the proposed Senate Concurrent Resolution 4,007 would reduce voter confusion by limiting future constitutional amendments to a single subject. Opponents warned the measure would invite litigation and shift interpretive power to officials and courts.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 4,007, a proposed constitutional amendment to require each future constitutional amendment to address a single subject, drew both backing and opposition at a hearing of the House Government and Veterans Affairs Committee.
Senator David Hogue, R‑Minot, told the committee that the amendment would “limit a constitutional amendment to a single subject” and reduce what he called bait‑and‑switch measures that bundle unrelated provisions under attractive headlines. He noted other states that allow initiated constitutional amendments typically have a single‑subject rule and said North Dakota’s current practice — in which voters often see only a brief ballot summary — makes longer, multi‑topic constitutional changes hard to evaluate.
"The majo…
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