Jefferson CityMissouri – Missouri voters and elected lawmakers may compete for a ballot box that creates public policy.
Citizen activists at the Missouri Capitol began an initiative petition for a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it harder for state lawmakers to reverse or modify citizen-led initiatives approved by voters.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers at the Capitol participated in a special session on redivision and were proposing their own constitutional amendments that would make it more difficult for citizens to accept constitutional amendments.
Both are likely to emerge in the 2026 vote, highlighting the growing tension between Missouri and voter will and its elected representatives.
“I want our lawmakers to stop overturning the will of the people,” said Lauren Bakker, a suburban resident of St. Louis. Respect the Missouri Voters League.
The initiative opposes Missouri lawmakers, who recently took steps to repeal voter-approved initiatives for abortion rights, paid sick leave and put more demands on the voting initiative campaign.
According to the Fairness Project, nearly 150 bills have been made this year in 15 state legislatures trying to qualify the initiative to qualify voters or win voter approval, twice as much as two years ago, a progressive group that supports dozens of voting programs in the U.S. state.
This year’s new laws include a Republican-led Florida law that allows for felony charges against an individual if they collect more than 25 signed voting petitions, rather than signature petitions from themselves or their immediate family members, and are not registered in the state as petition looper. Meanwhile, Republican-led legislatures in North and South Dakota submitted measures to a future vote, proposing a public vote of 60% to ratify the constitutional amendment.
“Lawmakers have been enacting restrictions around the country to use direct democracy on citizens as a ability to balance power,” said Dane Waters, founder of the Institute for Initiative and referendums of the University of Southern California.
Some state lawmakers believe it is too easy for civic activists supported by out-of-state funders to insert controversial and complex policies into the state constitution.
“Changing our constitution should be more difficult,” said Rep. Bill Lucas, a Republican of Missouri.
About half of the 50 states allow people to bypass their legislature by collecting signatures to bypass voting proposals. Among them is 16, the proposed constitutional amendment can be placed directly on the vote by a citizen petition.
In most states, the majority of voters across the state are everything they need to approve constitutional amendments. But Colorado needs to vote 55% on most measures and Florida 60% on the vote.
A proposal passed by the Missouri House of Representatives on Tuesday, now pending in the Senate, will require citizens to launch an amendment that will receive a majority in each of the state’s eight congressional districts. The legislature’s amendment to the votes only needs to be a statewide majority as it is currently. No other state has such a double standard.
Critics say it’s almost impossible for active supporters to meet.
“In fact, we’re going to kill the active process,” said Liz Kester of Colombia.
The Democratic lawmakers in Missouri’s minority have also attracted attention.
“I can’t even let eight out eight family members decide what we want to do at our family gatherings, let alone have eight congressional districts line up,” said Rep. Marty Joe Murray, St. Louis.
Republican lawmakers believe their proposals will force the initiative to win support from rural and urban areas as well as congressional districts represented by Republican and Democratic Party.
“If you want to change the Constitution of Missouri, you will have to reach a broad consensus,” said Republican state Rep. Ed Lewis.
On Wednesday, Respect the Missouri Voters League A tent was established outside the Capitol and the collection of petition signatures for the proposed constitutional amendment, which would prohibit simple majority votes from being asked to pass the initiative. The measure will also prohibit the legislature from adding initiatives that are eligible for a vote, or taking actions to undermine citizen initiative and referendum.
The proposal would also prohibit the legislature from changing or repealing laws or constitutional amendments initiated by citizens unless 80% of House and Senate members vote to pass the amendment to a statewide vote.
This year’s legislature repeals a voter-approved law requiring employers to provide paid sick leave and submit it to the ballot, a new amendment seeks to revoke the right-wing amendment for abortion rights passed by voters in November.
Columbia’s John Billman said he signed an initiative petition for both measures. On Wednesday, he signed the Missouri Voters Initiative because he said he was tired of the Legislature “the wailing around it, somehow passed the law, which made people want what they wanted.”
Supporters hope to collect about 300,000 signatures, which would be more than three-quarters of the signatures required to qualify for the vote. Respect the Missouri Voters League.
If they succeed, the measure could appear on the ballot along with the legislature’s proposal, titled “Protect Missouri Voters” amendment. This may bring some confusion and difficult choices to voters.
“The Legislature proves our point of view. Jefferson City It is shameless to try to deceive the voters and take our freedom. ” Singh said.
