ºüÀêÊÓƵ

The discord Thursday came a day after a coalition of Senate Republicans and Democrats voted to negotiate with the House. But the House Thursday rejected the offer, sending the issue back to the paralyzed Senate.

The measure, if approved by voters, would limit future constitutional amendments by requiring them to win in five of Missouri’s eight congressional districts to take effect.

The disagreement between the Senate and House is on the addition of so-called “ballot candy� to the question, which is designed to increase voter support.

A coalition of Senate Democrats and Republicans previously voted in February to strip the extra provisions from the question.

But House Republicans, prodded by Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, added extra provisions to the plan, including a requirement that only U.S. citizens can vote on constitutional amendments, and a provision barring foreign interference in amendment campaigns.

U.S. citizenship is already a voter registration qualification in Missouri, and federal law already bars election spending by foreign nationals.

Senate Republicans brought the House plan to the floor for final action Monday. But Democrats blocked a vote for 50 hours, and a bipartisan coalition voted for the negotiations with the House. The move drew condemnation from the Missouri Freedom Caucus, which counts five state senators as members.

Republicans want voters to approve the higher threshold in the Aug. 6 primary, before a likely Nov. 5 vote to overturn the state’s near-total abortion ban.

When the Senate convened Thursday, Sen. Bill Eigel, a member of the hard-right faction, stalled traffic by offering an amendment to the Senate Journal that would’ve said a herd of rhinoceroses — an homage to the term “Republicans In Name Only� — had stampeded through the Senate on Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin, R-Shelbina, quickly recessed the chamber. Eigel later withdrew the amendment when the Senate reconvened Thursday afternoon.

But then, one of the senators who voted with Democrats for the negotiations offered his own amendment to the journal — this time taking aim at members of the Freedom Caucus.

The amendment by Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lee’s Summit, would’ve expressed that the Senate believed public funds should not go to the defense of three members of the Freedom Caucus currently being sued for defamation in Kansas.

The Missouri attorney general’s office is representing the three lawmakers accused of defaming a Kansas fan of the NFL Chiefs: Sens. Nick Schroer of Defiance, Rick Brattin of Harrisonville and Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg. (Gov. Mike Parson last week said it was “problematic� that the state was representing the lawmakers.)

“Personal animosity — that’s what the senator from the 8th (Missouri Senate district, Cierpiot) is all about right now,� Eigel said.

O’Laughlin interrupted Eigel’s remarks and moved to adjourn for the day. Sen. Lincoln Hough presided, and as he adjourned, Sen. Mike Moon shouted from the Senate floor.

“This should not happen!� he said.

In the House, meanwhile, members voted down the Senate’s request for a conference committee to work out differences in proposed ballot questions both chambers had passed.

“The best opportunity we have to pass a constitutional amendment item to the ballot is to stand our ground as the House. We put months into this to craft a package that could pass,� Rep. Alex Riley, R-Springfield, said.

“As we all know the Senate has been a mess this year,� Riley said.

Rep. Doug Clemens, D-St. Ann, said, “here we are, playing fun and games, dog-and-pony shows.

“There doesn’t seem to be any seriousness about this particular issue,� he said.

Lawmakers face a 6 p.m. Friday deadline to complete regular business for the year.

The legislation is Sena