In rush to destroy the initiative petition process, Missouri politicians make clear why it’s needed

Jefferson City – Despite overwhelming constituent opposition to HJR 43, with more than 96 percent of committee testimony opposed to this and similar bills to undermine Missouri’s initiative petition process, the Missouri House of Representatives passed HJR 43. More than two dozen bills have been filed during this legislative session to fundamentally change and undermine the initiative petition process.

“The Initiative Petition is already a difficult and complicated process. Missourians resort to it only when they feel their voice isn’t being heard at the Capitol,” said Marilyn McLeod, president of the League of Women Voters of Missouri.

“The League is opposed to any efforts by the General Assembly to make this process even more difficult. Disgruntled politicians are ignoring regular order and the overwhelming opposition to limitations on this constitutional right as they rush to pass HJR 43.”

FIVE ‘ANTI’ BILLS
The Missouri House Committee on Elections and Elected Officials heard five bills on Jan. 24, and swiftly voted out four of these attacks two days later. During the committee hearing, testimony opposing these bills outnumbered supportive testimony nearly five-to-one, with more than 1,400 Missourians opposing these attacks.

Last week, a committee substitute was introduced at the beginning of the House executive session and quickly passed – denying the public input on the substitute, which was ultimately passed by the Missouri House on Feb. 1.

IGNORING THE PRIORITIES OF MISSOURI’S WORKING FAMILIES
“Every year, people with disabilities bring our concerns to our elected officials in Jefferson City, especially our inability to find healthy, affordable, and accessible housing and public transportation that meets our needs,” said Elton Thomas, a Missourian with visual impairment & advocate for people with disabilities. “So far, the General Assembly has not exercised the political will to address these vital quality of life issues for hundreds of thousands of their constituents. The initiative petition process offers us one avenue to bring our needs directly to Missouri voters, and now some elected officials are trying to make it much harder, perhaps even impossible, to use this democratic tool.”

MISSOURIANS DEPEND ON THE INITIATIVE PETITION
“The initiative process is a power and freedom that We the People have reserved to ourselves as a check on and to be independent of the General Assembly,” said Carl Bearden, a St. Charles Republican and United for Missouri CEO. “Our state legislators and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft should listen to our former Gov. John Ashcroft’s statement when he vetoed efforts to suppress the use of the ballot initiative:

“It is through the initiative process that those who have no influence with elective representatives may take their cause directly to the people. The General Assembly should be reluctant, therefore, to enact legislation which places any impediments on the initiative power which are inconsistent with the reservation found in the constitution,” –Former Missouri Governor John Ashcroft, June 27, 1992.

(This article produced by The Will of the People coalition. To learn more, visit www.willofthepeoplemo.com.)