A proposal passed Tuesday by the Missouri House, and now pending in the Senate, would require citizen-initiated amendments to receive a majority vote in each of the state’s eight congressional districts to pass. Amendments placed on the ballot by the Legislature would need only a statewide majority, as is currently the case. No other state has a dual standard like that.

Critics say it would be almost impossible for initiative supporters to meet.

"In effect, it’s saying we’re going to kill the initiative process,” said Liz Kester, of Columbia, who is helping with the Respect Missouri Voters initiative.

"The only way we're going to end gerrymandering is using a citizen initiative, and the only way we're going to stop them from attacking our freedom of the citizen initiative is by passing the Respect Missouri Voters Amendment," said Benjamin Singer, co-founder and campaign director for the Respect Missouri Voters Coalition.

Launch parties were held across Missouri Wednesday night, including in Springfield and Joplin, as Respect Missouri Voters Coalition volunteers were trained how to gather signatures to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot next year.

The Respect Missouri Voters amendment would require ballot language to be clear, unbiased, fair, accurate and easy to understand; prohibit politicians from overturning initiatives passed by voters unless an 80% bi-partisan supermajority sends any changes to voters to approve; and would prohibit any legislation making it more difficult to gather signatures or pass initiatives at the ballot box. 

On Wednesday, Respect Missouri Voters held launch parties across the state to kick off a campaign looking to protect the state’s response to state lawmakers repealing measures voters have passed, like paid sick leave. It also comes as lawmakers are in Jefferson City for a special session to redraw the congressional district map and change the state’s IP process.

“They seem to think that the voters don’t know what they’re doing,” said Pam Whiting, a volunteer for Respect Missouri Voters. “In fact, some of the legislators have said that. I find that very disrespectful.”

Missouri Lawmakers are working to make changes to the initiative petition process. But those opposed to any reform are fighting back. Respect MO Voters is an organization working to protect that constitutional right.

“This is an attempt to restore power to the people,” said Respect MO Voters volunteer Gene Davison.

He says the ‘Show Me State’ has laws in place to engage voters.

“Missouri, for a century, has had the right of citizens to petition the government. So that when politicians aren’t responsive to the will of the people, the people can take the cause straight to the ballot themselves,” he explained.

“The only way we’re going to end gerrymandering is using a citizen initiative, and the only way we’re going to stop them from attacking our freedom of the citizen initiative is by passing the Respect Missouri Voters Amendment,” said Benjamin Singer, co-founder and campaign director for the Respect Missouri Voters Coalition.

“The legislature a lot of times doesn’t follow the will of the people. Sometimes, they actively overturn what we vote for, and it’s really inspiring that Missouri has this direct democracy process. You can directly have citizens put their blood, sweat and tears into something they care about, put it on the ballot and see if the majority of Missourians agree with them. That’s how I think it should be,” said Floyd.

In a special session focused on redistricting, Gov. Mike Kehoe wants legislators to create a requirement for ballot measures to pass in every congressional district, rendering most future initiatives toothless.

Proposition A, which was approved by 58% of voters, was estimated to have made sick leave guaranteed for 728,000 workers who lacked it across Missouri

Benjamin Singer, of Respect MO Voters, called the effort on the ballot initiative process a “shameful attack on majority rule.” Singer’s initiative would make it more difficult for legislators to overturn voter approved initiatives.

“We will defeat this disgusting proposal, and pass our own amendment to ban politicians from attacking the will of the people, ever again,” Singer said.

Hundreds of workers and civil rights leaders in Kansas City expressed anger over efforts to redraw congressional maps to favor Republicans. Advocates say they're working to keep the same from happening to Missouri, even as President Trump declares that the state "is now IN."

“I think that was the more important issue for the chamber of commerce and elected officials to try to push back on, because I think they’re really terrified that working people have a sense of our own agency in a state like this.”

On this week's episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum takes a closer look at why Missouri Republicans keep going after voter-approved ballot initiatives. Rosenbaum talks with GOP political consultant David Barklage about the potential for consequences in 2026 for Missouri Republicans, particularly with a potential ballot item that would make it much more difficult to overturn voter-approved initiatives. And Rosenbaum also talks with STLPR's Sarah Kellogg about the potential for a constitutional amendment protecting paid sick leave for workers. Rosenbaum also talks with Democratic Sen. Patty Lewis of Kansas City about a potential redistricting special session.

Missouri lawmakers overturned a paid sick leave law, and advanced an amendment to overturn abortion rights, only six months after voters originally passed both measures. Now, the bipartisan group Respect Missouri Voters wants to put a new initiative on the ballot to prevent that from happening.

Respect Missouri Voters, a bipartisan constellation of organizations, this month submitted 38 versions of a new initiative petition seeking to undermine the legislature’s ability to overturn voter-approved measures. 

Most would require 80% of the legislature to agree before a law or constitutional amendment enacted by initiative petition could be revised or repealed. They also would prohibit the legislature from making the initiative and referendum process more difficult. 

A group is trying to make it harder for Missouri lawmakers to pass legislation that would overturn what voters passed at the ballot box. At the same time, a group of state lawmakers is trying to make it harder for that group, and all others trying to put items on the ballot, to put measures before voters.

Fellow Missourians, we lost a right this year.

The passage of the “Let Politicians Lie Act” (Senate Bill 22) allows the secretary of state to run out the clock on any attempt at a citizen initiative while he writes ballot language that misleads us into voting for or against something voters don’t really want. He’ll get three tries at the language before a court will take over and rewrite the ballot summary. The process could take so long that a citizen initiative isn’t feasible.

Thousands across the country are rallying against the current administration, including in cities across Missouri.

The protests took place on July 17, the fifth anniversary of John Lewis’ death.

Respect Missouri Voters, a non-partisan organization, is pushing back on legislative efforts to impose more restrictions on the state's initiative petition process.

"It began around the first of 2025," said Nancy Zeliff, a volunteer. "We currently have over 6,700 volunteers statewide, and we have around 1,900 individuals ready to collect signatures on our citizen-driven petition."

On Saturday, June 14, hundreds gathered at Freedom Corner in Cape Girardeau for a local installment of the national “No Kings” Day of Defiance — a coordinated peaceful protest led by Indivisible SEMO and partners, Respect Missouri Voters and SEMO Protect Democracy. Together, they called attention to attacks on democracy and the growing threat of authoritarianism.