Amendment 6 would enshrine initiative petition, referendum process in the Missouri Constitution

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri voters will see Amendment 6 on the ballot this November, after the group Respect Missouri Voters fought legal battles to place it there. If approved, it reserves citizens' right to initiative petitions and referendums in the Missouri Constitution.

Respect Missouri Voters collected signatures for Amendment 6, which started as an initiative petition, but Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected it in early August. He claimed the ballot title, which he approved, violated the single-subject rule. However, the Missouri Supreme Court decided it was sufficient.

Amendment 6 prohibits the legislature from changing laws passed by an initiative petition without approval by 80% of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The full ballot title listed on the Secretary of Stat's website reads:

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

• expand the initiative and referendum petition process by making it a fundamental right;
• allow courts to revise ballot summaries through lawsuits;
• prohibit the legislature from weakening initiative or referendum powers;
• prohibit the legislature from changing or repealing laws enacted through the initiative process, or passing laws similar to those rejected by referendum, without approval from at least 80% of both chambers; and
• preserve existing majority vote and signature requirements for initiative and referendum petitions?

A vote 'yes' would approve the bullet points listed above, and a vote 'no' would reject them.

In August, voters overwhelmingly rejected Amendment 4, which would have made it harder to pass an initiative petition.