JEFFERSON CITY — Republicans in charge of the Missouri Legislature are poised to take another shot at making it more difficult to pass constitutional amendments.
The move by the GOP comes as abortion rights supporters consider pursuing a 2024 ballot measure to overturn Missouri’s abortion ban.
On Thursday, the first day of bill filing for the 2023 legislative session, state Rep. , R-Lamar, filed legislation that would require proposed constitutional amendments to win two-thirds of the vote in order to take effect.
Currently, a simple majority is necessary to enact changes to the constitution, a process used by backers of medical and recreational marijuana legalization and Medicaid expansion to override lawmakers on the topics.
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“If you’re going to change the constitution it should be a little bit more than just 50%,” Kelley said Thursday.
A 66% threshold for passage would’ve killed both marijuana questions, Medicaid expansion, as well as the 2018 “Clean Missouri” question, which ushered in a series of ethics changes.
Voters would get the final say on any move to make constitutional amendments more difficult.
If the measure is placed on the August 2024 ballot, and voters approve it, the move could frustrate efforts to approve constitutional amendments in November 2024.
Abortion-rights supporters have said they are considering a ballot measure for 2024 to overturn Missouri’s abortion ban. They cited election results in five states — California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont — where abortion-rights groups won ballot measures.
JoDonn Chaney, spokesman for Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, said if voters raise the threshold in August 2024, the new requirement would be in effect for the November 2024 elections.
Chuck Hatfield, a Jefferson City attorney, said an August 2024 vote to increase the threshold “likely would” affect questions on the November 2024 ballot, though he said “the law is not completely clear” and that there would likely be litigation on the question.
Sen. , D-Kansas City, doubted voters would be sold on any measure raising the bar for constitutional amendments, which cannot be altered by the Legislature.
“I don’t think the people want to give up their power,” he said. “The people need a way of checking their elected officials and we have seen Missourians do it over and over in the last decade or so.”
Razer said the Republican-controlled Legislature and executive branch “is upset when the people tell them, ‘We want you to do something different than what you did.’”
that would’ve raised the bar for ballot questions to 60% failed in November after it only garnered 41% of the vote.
In addition to increasing the threshold for passage to a two-thirds majority, Kelley’s legislation proposes requiring canvassers to gather signatures in each of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.
Organizers attempting to place constitutional questions on the ballot currently must gather signatures from 8% of legal voters in six of the state’s eight congressional districts.
Kelley’s plan doesn’t increase the 8% minimum, but requires canvassers to collect signatures from at least 8% of voters in all eight congressional districts.
A separate plan filed Thursday by state Rep. , R-Poplar Bluff, would require canvassers to gather signatures from 15% of voters in all eight congressional districts.
Legislation by state Reps. , R-Moberly, and , R-Marshfield, would also raise requirements for constitutional amendments upon voter approval.
The legislation is House Joint Resolutions , , and .