Columbia Missourian: Proposed initiative petition changes face off on the ballot

Respect or protect Missouri voters? Is there a difference?

If you ask lawmakers and petitioners throughout the state, that answer is a resounding “yes.”

Two diametrically opposed amendments to the Missouri Constitution regarding the initiative petition process could be hitting the ballot next year.

In that case, voters will have to decide which side they’re on: respecting or protecting.

The first Missouri initiative petition was filed in 1910, marking Missouri one of 26 states with statewide referendum or initiative processes. Through that well-established process, major reforms have been put in place by voters in Missouri, including recreational marijuana legalization in 2022 and expansion of reproductive rights in 2024, said Peverill Squire, a University of Missouri political science professor.

The amendment known as Protect Missouri Voters is assured of being on the ballot next year because it was passed by the Missouri General Assembly, automatically granting it ballot status.

The Respect Missouri Voters amendments will be placed on the ballot only if sufficient signatures on a petition are gathered across the state’s eight congressional districts. State law requires that to be placed on the ballot a petition must have valid signatures of 8% of the voters in two-thirds of the congressional districts based on how many voted in the most recent gubernatorial election.

Here’s a closer look at what’s at stake:

Protect Missouri Voters

The Protect Missouri Voters amendment was proposed during the special redistricting session of the state legislature in September as House Joint Resolution 3.

The measure, if approved by voters, would require that a majority of voters in each of the state’s eight congressional districts would need to approve a constitutional amendment for it to pass.

Critics say that if that amendment is approved, just 5% of voters could defeat a petition because one congressional district could reject a proposed amendment.

The Missouri Constitution requires only a statewide majority to approve an amendment. So a simple majority vote for this amendment would impose a much stricter requirement on future amendments.

The proposed amendment also touches upon foreign involvement in Missouri elections, prohibiting citizens of countries deemed “foreign adversaries” from contributing to statewide ballot initiatives, which is already illegal under state law but not addressed in the Missouri Constitution.

Backers of the Protect Missouri Voters amendment didn’t need to gather signatures. Rather, a resolution introduced and passed by the Missouri General Assembly is allowed to bypass the initiative process and appear on the ballot without needing the prior approval of voters. The resolution cleared the House and the Senate during the September special session.

Rep. Ed Lewis, R-Moberly, sponsored the resolution and was a vocal advocate through committee hearings and floor votes in both chambers. Lewis said during testimony that he has filed resolutions regarding the petition process every year he has been in office. He said that this time he was called upon by Gov. Mike Kehoe to introduce House Joint Resolution 3.

Lewis said even with these more restrictive provisions in place, at least five initiative petitions would have passed in the last 20 years.

“If we do not do something (about the initiative petition process),” Lewis said, “we aren’t supporting and defending our constitution.”

Respect Missouri Voters

Respect Missouri Voters is a petition movement that’s attempting to preserve the initiative process and add restrictions on the legislature’s ability to revise or undo what voters have approved.

The ballot initiative that has been approved to circulate would create an amendment to the constitution to “ban the legislature from deceiving voters with confusing ballot language, ban them from making the initiative process harder to use and ban them from overturning the will of the people.”

The proposed amendment would require 80% approval in both chambers of the legislature to make changes or repeal measures passed via citizen initiatives. This would ensure bipartisanship and that “voters have the final say,” according to a promotional page for the petition.

The amendment, however, does not protect any measures placed on the ballot by the legislature, which Respect Missouri Voters claims “often have deceptive language.”

“(Our goal is) to save the initiative process with the initiative process,” said Pam Whiting, spokesperson for Respect Missouri Voters.

The petition backers began accepting signatures on Sept. 10 but have been campaigning since last year. They are expecting as many as 300,000 signatures by the end of the year, Whiting said. The organization is staffed by over 3,000 volunteers across the state.

The petition has received endorsements from several sources, including the Missouri NAACP, MO National Organization for Women and former representatives from both sides of the political aisle.

“It is direct democracy in a very pure way,” Whiting said.

Addressing voter confusion

Due to the similar naming schemes of the proposed amendments, some confusion could arise. However, when measures are put on the ballot, a neutral name is chosen, such as Proposition A, B, C, etc.

Protect Missouri Voters and Respect Missouri Voters are simply names for campaigning in support of the proposals. Ultimately, the vote will come up to what is contained in the measures and how well the public is informed about them.

Citizens, Squire said, are often well-informed on what they are voting on, but if they don’t understand what a ballot measure is saying, they’ll generally simply vote “no.”

Ultimately, Missourians will have the final say on whether they’re protected, respected or something else entirely in 2026.

You can read the article on the Columbia Missourian website here.