Senate Republicans push to make it harder for voters to change Missouri’s constitution

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As a coalition of abortion-rights organizations gathers signatures to reverse the state’s abortion ban, some Republican lawmakers want to make it harder for voters to change the state’s constitution.

The initiative petition process is how voters legalized recreational and medical marijuana and expanded Medicaid. The organizers of those campaigns were required to gather more than 171,000 signatures to put those questions on the ballot.

Republicans said it’s now more important than ever to increase the threshold of voters needed to approve a referendum, but those in opposition believe this is an overreach of government.

“We believe that the voices of all Missourians deserve to be heard,” Missouri Voter Protection Coalition director Denise Lieberman said.

For three hours Monday, members of the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee heard dozens of pieces of legislation that would ask voters if it should be harder to approve an initiative petition.

“We want to maintain access to the ballot for citizens while also ensuring that the initiative petition is truly being utilized to advance the interest of Missourians,” Sen. Ben Brown, R-Washington, said.

DOJ investigating Cori Bush’s campaign for spending on security services

Currently, to approve a referendum, it takes a simple majority, meaning more votes for than against.

“I do worry about whether it’s the pro-abortion initiative that was launched a week or two ago; I worry about the anti-Second Amendment folks trying to get things on the ballot to take away our right to buy an AR-15,” Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, said.

Some of the proposals discussed on Monday would increase the number of signatures needed, while others would call for a concurrent majority or even mandate that a majority of the legislative districts must approve the issue.

“The citizens’ initiative petition, whether it be used for constitutional amendment or for a statutory change, is the most direct form of voter participation in our democracy and is really only used when the citizens feel their voice isn’t being heard,” Vice President for the Missouri League of Women Voters Nancy Copenhaver said.

This push for change comes at a time when some are trying to put the abortion question on the ballot later this year. The group, made up of the ACLU of Missouri, Abortion Action Missouri and Planned Parenthood chapters in Kansas City and St. Louis, called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, is now collecting signatures to put an initiative petition on the ballot to end the state’s abortion ban.

This comes after the petitions were tied up in the courts for months, challenged by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. Back in November, the group won a legal battle over the ballot summary language, allowing them to start gathering signatures.

The news of the signature gathering is adding urgency to the Republican priority of passing legislation to make it harder for voters to amend the constitution. Some GOP members say this problem came before that petition started circulating.

“I think there is an attempt to frame this issue primarily and only exclusively as an abortion issue with the abortion initiative petition process already starting, but this is something that people have been concerned about our constitutional integrity for a very long time,” Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, said.

Missouri lawmaker introduces ‘Taylor Swift Act’ to combat AI deepfakes

Last week, members of the Freedom Caucus blocked the movement of any legislation from moving forward until Senate Leadership referred initiative petition legislation to committee. That was followed by a quick hearing scheduled for Monday.

While infighting among Republicans continues, others warn the GOP that this decision could cause the party problems in the future.

“Whichever party is not in control will try to see that,” Dan Veit with the Missouri Civil Liberties Association said. “I believe the majority will regret it if they take away or hinder this. It’s not reform, it’s sabotage.”

A reminder that if any of the legislation passes the General Assembly, voters would still have to approve it. The concern of many Democrats is the possibility of “ballot candy” that could surround the question to trick voters.

The committee plans to vote on the legislation Tuesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.