Missouri House Committee Looks To Make It Tougher To Get Initiatives On The Ballot
An election cycle in Missouri that saw 371 petitions submitted to change the state’s laws or constitution is prompting a new discussion among lawmakers about ways to limit the process.
The House Committee on Elections and Elected Officials heard several hours of testimony on nine proposals Wednesday, though it did not vote on any of them. Measures making similar changes are awaiting first-round approval in the Senate.
Some of the proposals charge a fee for filing petitions. Others would increase the number of signatures required to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot, or require a larger majority of voters to approve constitutional amendments.
“My concern is, 'How do we do something to make sure that, if we’re changing our constitution, it’s something that’s widely agreed by the people of the state?', but I also don’t want to make it more difficult for people, or unreasonable for people, to get something on the ballot,” said Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a proponent of reforms.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/missouri-house-committee-looks-make-it-tougher-get-initiatives-ballot