GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991
H	1 

HOUSE BILL 44

Short Title:  Speaker Terms Limit.	(Public)
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Representative Brawley.
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Courts, Justice, Constitutional Amendments, and Referenda.
─────────────────────────────────────── 

February 11, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO LIMIT THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO SERVICE IN TWO CONSECUTIVE GENERAL ASSEMBLIES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Section 15 of Article II of the Constitution of North Carolina reads as rewritten:
	"Sec. 15.  Officers of the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives shall elect its Speaker and other officers.  No person may serve as Speaker in three consecutive General Assemblies.  The initial convening of each regular session shall constitute a new General Assembly for the purpose of this section.  Service as Speaker during any part of the term of a General Assembly shall constitute service as Speaker for that General Assembly for the purpose of this section."
Sec. 2.  The amendment set forth in Section 1 of this act shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the State at the statewide general election to be held in November of 1992, which shall be conducted under the laws then governing elections in the State.
Sec. 3.  At that election, each qualified voter desiring to vote shall be provided a ballot on which shall be printed the following:
"[]	FOR a constitutional amendment providing that the Speaker of the House may not serve more than two consecutive terms.
[]	AGAINST a constitutional amendment providing that the Speaker of the House may not serve more than two consecutive terms."
Those qualified voters favoring the amendment shall vote by marking an "X"or a check mark in the square beside the statement beginning "FOR", and those qualified voters opposed to the amendment shall vote by marking an "X"or a check mark in the square beside the statement beginning "AGAINST".
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, voting machines may be used in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the State Board of Elections.
Sec. 4.  If a majority of votes cast thereon are in favor of the constitutional amendment set out in Section 1 of this act, then the State Board of Elections shall certify that amendment to the Secretary of State who shall enroll that amendment so certified among the permanent records of his office, and the amendment shall become effective December 31, 1992, so that a person who has served as Speaker of the House in the 1991 General Assembly may serve as Speaker in the 1993 General Assembly, but may not serve consecutively as Speaker during the 1991, 1993, and 1995 General Assemblies.
  	Sec. 5. This act is effective upon ratification.