{"id":4703,"date":"2025-09-08T16:47:30","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T21:47:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/08\/missouri-house-advances-bill-to-make-it-harder-for-voters-to-amend-state-constitution-2\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T16:47:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T21:47:30","slug":"missouri-house-advances-bill-to-make-it-harder-for-voters-to-amend-state-constitution-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/08\/missouri-house-advances-bill-to-make-it-harder-for-voters-to-amend-state-constitution-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Missouri House advances bill to make it harder for voters to amend state constitution"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem Chad Perkins, R-Bowling Green, stands at the House dais Monday afternoon (Annelise Hanshaw\/Missouri Independent).<\/p>\n

The Missouri House gave initial approval Monday to legislation that would increase the threshold to pass constitutional amendments proposed through initiative petition.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bill passed largely along partisan lines, with five Republicans voting in opposition. It needs to be approved by the House one more time before heading to the Senate. If it passes that chamber, it goes on the ballot for voter approval.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under the proposal, constitutional amendments put on the ballot by voters would need a simple majority statewide and a majority in all eight congressional districts to pass. This means that a small percentage of the state\u2019s voters could defeat any ballot measure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During last year\u2019s general election, 311,915 votes were cast in the 1st District out of the state\u2019s 2,960,266 votes. So 156,000 voters \u2014 or about 5.3% of the statewide vote \u2014 could prevent a measure from passing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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As few as 5% of voters could defeat initiative petitions under Missouri GOP legislation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Constitutional amendments placed on the ballot by state lawmakers would not have the same standard. Only citizen-led initiative petitions would be affected.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bill initially also targeted changes to state law placed on the ballot through the initiative petition process. But the proposal\u2019s sponsor \u2014 Republican state Rep. Ed Lewis of Moberly \u2014 said during Monday\u2019s debate that he wanted to \u201cdecouple\u201d changes to state statute from constitutional amendments.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we\u2019re to change the constitution, there should be broad support,\u201d he said, \u201csupport in each congressional district.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

State lawmakers, in concert with changes to the initiative petition process, are <\/span>considering a new congressional map under a request from President Donald Trump<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The amendment also bans ballot measure campaigns from accepting contributions from foreign nationals, aligning the resolution with <\/span>Gov. Mike Kehoe\u2019s request<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier this year, the legislature passed a law <\/span>barring foreign spending on state ballot measures<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

State Rep. David Tyson Smith, a Democrat from Columbia, asked why Lewis had this piece in the legislation since the spending is already illegal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lewis said it would add the restrictions to the Missouri Constitution, whereas they are currently only enacted in state law.<\/span><\/p>\n

Smith labeled the provision \u201cballot candy\u201d aimed at tricking voters into supporting changing the initiative petition process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is extremely sloppy when it talks about foreign adversaries,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the reason it was left in here is for ballot candy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The proposed summary that would appear on the ballot next year leads with a ban on foreign nationals \u201cproviding funding to influence ballot measure elections.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Through recent ballot measures, Missourians have legalized abortion and recreational use of marijuana and voted to increase the minimum wage and mandate paid-sick leave. In November, <\/span>the abortion-rights amendment<\/span><\/a> passed with just shy of <\/span>52% of the vote<\/span><\/a> with large support from the state\u2019s urban, more-populated areas. Voters in all but eight of Missouri\u2019s 115 counties opposed the amendment.<\/span><\/p>\n

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