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of the legislature to agree before a law or constitutional amendment enacted by initiative petition could be revised or repealed.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.

With their actions this session, the Missouri General Assembly sent another loud message: Your vote doesn’t matter. Legislators overruled your referendum protecting earned sick time — despite clear support from voters.

That’s why the Respect Missouri Voters Coalition is coming together to ban Missouri politicians from overturning the will of the people, including Show Me Integrity, the National Organization for Women, Veterans for All Voters, Missouri NAACP, and many others.

“State lawmakers have been using their power to subvert the will of the people,” said Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center’s executive director. The center tracks and helps promote ballot measures. “They can’t win fairly, so they’ve been rewriting the rules, no matter what the majority wants.”

Braving the Tuesday morning rain, community members rallied at the Nodaway County Courthouse as part of the Respect MO Voters movement, which is working to ban Missouri politicians from attacking the will of the people.

In the wake of ballot measures that increased abortion access and improved sick leave for workers, a coordinated effort is unfolding across the country to restrict direct democracy — and shift power to partisan legislatures.

For over 100 years, voters have used initiatives to fight corruption, improve health care, and help working families. Officials want all the power in their hands. 

But a growing, cross-partisan movement — Respect MO Voters — is pushing back, including the National Organization for Women, the Missouri NAACP, and Veterans for All Voters.

Alisa Nelson talks to Benjamin Singer, with “Respect Missouri Voters” Coalition, who says the campaign hopes to begin gathering signatures in July, to ban lawmakers from continuing to overturn what voters have voted for.

[T]he voters’ expressed will at the ballot should be viewed as sacrosanct, even by politicians who think they know better. Readers who agree should visit RespectMOvoters.org to learn about the “Respect Missouri Voters” effort and consider volunteering.

Missouri is one of just 11 states with no law prohibiting the legislature from overturning the will of the people through citizen initiatives. Courts have consistently upheld the vote of the people, but as this session ended, legislators overruled citizen’s vote once again.

Across Missouri, workers who are finally accruing sick time are being told that the benefit will be taken away from them. And people who only a few months ago celebrated the end of an abortion ban are finding out that they’ll have to go back to work to preserve a right they legitimately won.

A simple question keeps coming up: How can they do this to us?

They do it because they can.

Until enough voters decide they can’t.

Last week, the Missouri General Assembly brazenly attacked the will of the people. Again.

…

This is not just wrong. It’s a fundamental threat to our freedom.

(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) Across the state of Missouri, residents came together in what's being called a 'nonpartisan stand' over the worry that state politicians are taking away voters' say.

Rallies took place throughout Missouri, including Farmington, Blue Springs, St. Louis, Springfield, St. Charles, Jefferson City, and St. Joseph. 

On Saturday, people rallied as legislators returned home to their districts from Jefferson City.

Each community rallied to shed light on what they are calling ‘deceptive and misleading ballot language. Organizers from groups like Respect Missouri Voters and 5051 Missouri hosted on Saturday.

(News-Press NOW) -- Rallies will be held across Missouri to give voters a chance to express concerns for politicians interfering with ballot measures that have already been passed by voters.

A bill signed Thursday by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe generated a lawsuit Friday challenging its constitutionality even as Attorney General Andrew Bailey wasted no time using new powers granted in the law.