Missouri Republicans try to pass initiative petition reform through special session
Alison Patton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Gov. Mike Kehoe is bringing lawmakers back to the Capitol for Wednesday’s special session to approve not just a new congressional map, but also a ballot measure that would reform Missouri’s initiative petition process.
“For far too long, Missouri’s Constitution has been the victim of out-of-state special interests who deceive voters to pass out-of-touch policies,” Kehoe said in a press release. “It’s time we give voters a chance to protect our Constitution.”
The release mentions passing legislation that would require statewide ballot measures to be approved by a majority of voters statewide and a majority of voters in each of the eight congressional districts.
Charles Zug, a political science professor at the University of Missouri, said it will be difficult to get anything to pass as an initiative petition, if Kehoe’s proposal goes through.
“What this would do is, I mean, it would make it impossible for any of those sort of center-left type proposals to pass,” Zug said.
Reform has been a priority for legislative Republicans over several sessions, but it has always been held up before it can get to the governor’s desk.
The newest proposal is disliked by some who initially liked initiative petition reform.
“I just don’t like the fact that they want it to be all eight congressional districts,” Ron Calzone, a director of Missouri First, said.
Calzone testified for several bills in the spring that wanted to increase the number of signatures needed to get an initiative petition onto the ballot, according to previous reporting.
Calzone said Kehoe’s proposal would be too difficult to pass initiative petitions under for anyone, including Republicans.
The GOP in both chambers seems to support Kehoe’s reform proposal.
“At the same time, we must guard our constitution from being hijacked by out-of-state liberal groups that want to force their agenda on Missouri through misleading ballot measures,” Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin (R-Shelbina) said.
Democrats argue that this is a power grab from the Republicans.
“You’re in essence vetoing the initiative petition process. You’re killing it, but you’re doing it in a very sly way, so it looks like it’s just reform, when in effect you’re killing the process,” said Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia).
Last November, Missouri had three initiative petitions on the ballot that passed. Amendment 2 legalized sports gambling, Proposition A increased the minimum wage and required paid sick leave and Amendment 3 enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution.
Before that, voters used the process to legalize both medicinal and recreational marijuana and to expand Medicaid eligibility.
“Missourians will not tolerate acts of electoral sabotage from their leaders nor silently allow Republicans to seize more power,” House Minority Leader Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City) said.