Democrats in the state Senate elected a new minority leader Monday.

State Sen. Sydney Batch will replace longtime state Sen. Dan Blue as minority leader next year in the chamber, where Republicans recently retained a supermajority. Blue had held the position for years but declined to pursue it again Monday after “taking the temperature” of the caucus, he told WRAL News late Monday.

“I did check out how people were really feeling,” said Blue, D-Wake. “They are ready for a new direction.” Batch will “strengthen the caucus” as minority leader, he added.

Senate Democrats announced the change in leadership in a statement to the media.

Batch, who last month won a second term representing southern Wake County, thanked Blue for his leadership.

“It is an honor to be chosen by my colleagues to lead the Senate Democratic Caucus during such a pivotal time for our state,” Batch said in the statement.

“North Carolinians are counting on us to protect their rights, expand opportunity, and fight for policies that prioritize people over politics,” she continued. “Our Caucus remains focused on creating a North Carolina where every resident can build the life they want for their families and themselves, and we are ready to work to get North Carolina back on the right track.”

The caucus also reelected Sen. Jay Chaudhuri of Wake County as Minority Whip and Sen. Julie Mayfield of Buncombe County as caucus secretary.

Republican state lawmakers announced three proposals for new state constitutional amendments Monday morning, with plans to vote on them later in the day.

One of the amendments would further cap the state’s maximum possible income tax rate. Another would tweak the state’s voter photo identification requirements. The third would call for a new U.S. Constitutional convention. A convention could only be held if 34 states call for one. Currently 19 states have done so, according to the main conservative group that’s been lobbying for years for a new convention to rewrite the Constitution.

In North Carolina, amending the state constitution is a two-step process. A proposal must first pass the legislature with at least 60% in both chambers, a supermajority, voting in favor. Then it would be put on the ballot for voters to decide. If at least 50% of voters support the idea, it gets added to the state constitution.

The timing of Monday’s announcement might indicate that Republicans don’t believe they’ll be able to get any Democratic support for the three amendments in the state legislature.

North Carolina voters broke the GOP’s supermajority in this year’s elections, and new members will be sworn in next month. So starting in January, any constitutional amendment proposals would need at least one Democratic lawmaker to vote in favor in order for the amendment to be placed on the ballot.

Veto override also expected

The three new amendments aren’t the only major changes being rushed through in the lame-duck session following this year’s elections. Republican lawmakers also recently voted to strip powers away from the governor, attorney general, lieutenant governor and superintendent of schools — all offices won by Democrats in the 2024 elections.

In some cases, powers and duties held by those offices would cease to exist altogether. In other cases, the powers would transfer to different offices, which Republicans won election to in this year’s elections.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the bill, calling it unconstitutional.

Republicans still have a veto-proof supermajority until January, however. They planned to begin the veto override process Monday in the same state Senate session where the new amendments were also expected to be heard.