Springfield News-Leader op-ed: What will it take for Missouri legislators to show some respect for voters?

I see where our Missouri state legislators are again trying to usurp our majority votes on an amendment that they don't agree with. Of course, this time it is Amendment 3. This is not the first time: The Clean Missouri redistricting plan, Right to Work, legalizing marijuana, etc. Although in the past, I have not voted in favor for all, they were passed by the majority of our individual citizens and I accepted that. Why can't our legislators? Do they think we are stupid and do not understand what we are voting for? If that is the case, then are the votes they receive from those same stupid people? The Republicans have a majority in our state so it would seem the same people that voted for this amendment were also people that voted them in.

We expect our legislatures to vote on the mundane policies that make our lives better. When our citizens take the time to initiate petitions, draw up the wording, get the required signatures, and actually get something on the ballot our representatives should acknowledge the vote of the people. 

Amendment 3 restores not only healthcare for people, but also restores abortion in our state with restrictions. The American Medical Association should be the standard authority on viability. The other restrictions as written would also include that person's doctor.

The facts of life are that there is no 100% birth control. Condoms break, birth control pills can fail, the rhythm method cannot be calculated correctly, etc. Not every pregnancy is planned, but most continue their pregnancy. Some choose to terminate before viability due to many reasons. Rape is a fact of life as is sexual abuse, poverty, etc. It is not for me or you or our legislators to make that decision. Not all pregnancies go as planned. Not everyone has a perfect life with perfect babies. The legislators in our state would have you think that couples choose to end mid-term or late-term pregnancies willy-nilly. That thinking disgusts me. Talk to someone that actually had to make that heartbreaking decision and stop acting like they wake up one day and think "Oh, I don't think I want to be pregnant anymore." 

We as citizens of Missouri need to contact our legislators not only regarding this amendment but all initiatives put forward by voters. If voters take the time to canvass, get the signatures needed, get it on the ballot and passed, then honor your voters and do the right thing. For several years now they have talked about changing the initiative petition process. By the new standards they want to implement, the Hancock Amendment would not have passed years ago. The Clean Missouri act was passed by a very substantial majority and they changed that also. It is time that our elected representatives listen to us.

It is time they pass legislation that helps our children with education, our environment, our farmers, our workers and industries, our healthcare, the poor and middle class. And if they can't do that then it is up to us, it is our right, through initiative petitions to do it for ourselves.

You can read the op-ed at the Springfield News-Leader’s website here.