KSNF/KODE — Missouri senator Jill Carter says initiative petition reform is about making sure everyone has a say in potential changes to the state’s founding document.
An initiative petition is a method used to make a change to the Missouri Constitution without going through the legislature.
These changes can be put on the ballot by collecting enough signatures from Missouri residents.
Once the measure is put on the ballot, all it takes is a simple majority of voters for it to pass.
Carter says that historically, that means voters in more urban areas like St. Louis and Kansas City often decide its fate, without taking voters in smaller communities into account.
Carter says the goal with the concurrent majority legislation moving in the Senate would mean the simple majority threshold stays, but would make sure everyone has a more equal say.
For example, changing the law to where six of the state’s eight congressional districts would have to pass a measure for it to go into effect.
“So there’s that buy-in from both the urban and rural pool. I mean, when you’re talking about your most founding document, right, we want to make sure that it is something that has buy-in from everybody,” said Sen. Jill Carter, (R)-32nd District.
Several initiative reform measures have been filed in both the House and Senate.
So far, none have made it through the full process.
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