JEFFERSON CITY – The ACLU of Missouri is warning that politicians in the Missouri Senate are attempting to remove critical checks and balances from the state’s 100 year old initiative petition process, a constitutional right, that would give Missouri’s Secretary of State up to three chances to write the most skewed language possible — and give fellow partisan judges the power to bless or suggest improvements to the Secretary’s proposals. Senate Bill 22 attempts to prevent the courts from rewriting ballot summary language found to be unlawful for misleading or deceiving voters.
According to a news release, the ACLU says Missourians are calling SB22 the “Let Politicians Lie Act” as the bill would give politicians up to three chances to see how far they can push dishonest language. The goal of the bill is to allow partisan elected officials to collude on ballot language to get their preferred outcome on citizen-initiated and legislatively-referred ballot measures.
“SB 22 undermines Missouri’s citizen-led ballot initiative process by letting partisan politicians interfere with the will of the people,” said Tori Schafer, Director of Policy and Campaigns with the ACLU of Missouri. “This attack on direct democracy threatens voters’ ability to enact laws when politicians fail to act.”
The current process allows a voter to challenge ballot summary language if they think politicians are attempting to mislead the public about a future ballot measure. Both Democratic and Republican officials have had ballot summary language rewritten through litigation. However, SB22 attempts to remove the checks and balances that keep politicians in check by giving the Secretary of State up to three chances to write ballot summary language — even if a court rules that the Secretary has attempted to lie to voters about a pending measure.
“The legislature is so afraid of the will of the people that they are rushing through a bill that is poorly written and will only create more problems and uncertainty,” said Alejandro Gallardo, a prep cook and worker leader with Missouri Jobs with Justice. “Politicians will do anything to make it harder for us to use our voices.”
“Missouri’s working class, in lockstep with allies across the state, went to the ballot box on November 5 to overwhelmingly voice our need for paid sick days and fair wages,” said Bill Thompson, a low-wage worker and leader with the Missouri Workers Center. “It’s sickening that our representatives in Jefferson City would try and put up roadblocks to making this kind of change possible. It hurts our families and communities and it’s un-American. The ballot process gives us a chance for change and hope, and we must come together as low-wage workers and Missourians — Black, white, and Brown — to protect it.”
If SB22 were to become law, politicians and partisan judges in Cole County would have new powers to skew ballot language to get their preferred outcome on ballot measures.
“I joined with hundreds of volunteers last year to take democracy into our own hands and collect signatures to pass a law that Missourians wanted and needed. The initiative petition process has been around for 107 years, and it’s not right for lawmakers to want to change what has been a great tool of our democracy,” said Ray Thomas, Missouri Jobs with Justice Leader and union member. “Politicians are surprised by the high success rate we had with signature gathering, which shows they aren’t in tune with what voters want, and should not change the process for us to express our needs to those who refuse to listen.”