JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri House passed legislation changing the state’s initiative petition (IP) and referendum process in an effort to strengthen and promote transparency, accessibility, and fairness in the democratic system.
HB 1749, sponsored by Representative Mike Haffner, seeks to modernize the state’s IP process by standardizing the petition procedure in an effort to accomplish efficiencies and ensure integrity through the following provisions:
• Standardized Petition Signature Pages: The bill mandates that initiative and referendum petition signature pages be printed on a specified form determined by the Secretary of State. These forms must be available electronically, and signatures must be recorded using black or dark ink.
• Circulator Requirements: Petition circulators must be U.S. citizens, residents of Missouri, or physically present in the state for at least 30 consecutive days before collecting signatures. Additionally, they are prohibited from receiving compensation based on the number of signatures collected.
• Federal Law Limitation: No petition is allowed to claim the nullification or amendment of Federal law.
• Adjudication Timing: Final adjudication on challenges to the official ballot title or fiscal note must occur less than eight weeks before the scheduled election.
• Review by State Officials: The Secretary of State and Attorney General are tasked with reviewing petitions for compliance with specific statutes, the Missouri Constitution, and the U.S. Constitution.
• Voter Challenge Eligibility: Only registered voters in Missouri are permitted to challenge the official ballot title or fiscal note.
• Advance Submission of Sample Sheets: Initiative and referendum petition sample sheets must be submitted to the Secretary of State six months prior to the upcoming general election.
• Invalidation of Signatures: If a court substantially alters the content of the official ballot title, all signatures collected before such changes are invalidated.
• Repeal of Hearing Requirement: The bill repeals the requirement for the Joint Committee on Legislative Research to hold a hearing on proposed measures within 30 days of petition certification.
Rep. Haffner emphasized the importance of passing this legislation in an effort to protect the state’s ever-expanding constitution. Since 1945, Missouri’s constitution has been amended over 60 times, while the U.S. Constitution has been amended 27 times; of those amendments, the first 10 were the Bill of Rights. Missouri has one of the largest state constitutions in the nation, and is one of only 18 states that allows for initiative petitions for constitutional changes, with one of the lenient processes for amending the constitution.
“Missourians deserve a constitution shaped by their voices, not swayed by out-of-state influences or deep pockets. Initiative petition reform is a crucial step in ensuring that the power to shape our state’s future remains firmly in the hands of its people, free from undue external pressures,” Haffner, R-Pleasant Hill, said. “This proposal, if passed, will put Missourians in control of their destiny, safeguarding the integrity of our democratic process through thoughtful and necessary reforms.”
“The Missouri Constitution is supposed to be the foundational document articulating the rights of its citizens and stating the limitations of authority of its government,” House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, said. “Instead, the current process has created an end-run around the legislature for special interests and out-of-state lobbies who do not have the best interests of Missourians at heart. Initiative petition reform is essential to uphold the integrity of our electoral process. Representative Haffner’s commitment to prioritizing Missouri’s interests resonates with the need for clearer standards, ensuring that our citizens, not external forces, drive the decisions that shape our great state.”
The bill was third read and passed out of the House with a vote of 104-41 on Thursday, and will now proceed to the Missouri Senate for further consideration.