After a drawn-out legal battle, voters will have the final say in November if major changes are made to the citizen initiative petition process.
Amendment 6 was recently approved to be on the November ballot after the Missouri Supreme Court rejected Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins claim that it violates the Missouri Constitution's single-subject rule.
This amendment is nearly the reverse of Amendment 4 from August's ballot, which would have increased barriers for citizen-led initiative petitions.
Missouri voters rejected Amendment 4 in August with 80.3% voting against it.
If Amendment 6 passes, measures that voters approved would require an 80% vote in the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri Senate to be revisited.
The items would then go back in front of voters, who would make the final decision.
Political science professor, canvasser talk Amendment 6
Saint Louis University conducted its biyearly poll asking 900 likely voters several questions over state and national issues.
The university recently released its August data this week, which found that on Amendment 6, 48% were in favor, 21% were opposed and 32% were unsure.
Steven Rogers, a political science professor at Saint Louis University, said the number of unsure voters didn’t surprise him.
“While we might have seen ads in the last few months about Amendments 4 and 5 or Amendment 3, we haven’t heard all that much about Amendment 6,” Rogers said.
Respect Missouri Voters, an organization in favor of Amendment 6, held a canvassing event on Saturday in Columbia.
“This is a cross-partisan issue because anyone can and has used the citizen initiative process," said volunteer Mary Ellen.
Recreational marijuana, sports betting and abortion were all legalized in Missouri using citizen-led initiative petitions, according to previous KOMU 8 reporting.
Those against Amendment 6 often raise concerns that there are no time specifications in the amendment as to when the state legislature would no longer need an 80% vote.
“If something does pass, let’s say currently, voters in the future may be very unhappy with it, but achieving that 80% mark may be quite challenging” Rogers said.
Previous citizen-led initiatives approved by voters have been changed over the years. Gov. Mike Kehoe signed House Bill 567 into law, which overturned paid sick leave protections just months after voters approved the measure with 57.5% in favor.
State legislators are also attempting to overhaul the 2024 vote that expanded abortion rights with Amendment 3 on this year's ballot, which would revert the state back to a near-total abortion ban.
Rogers said this amendment puts the issues back into the voter's hands.
The same as the current process, Amendment 6 would keep the existing signature requirements and allow petition items onto the ballot through a simple majority vote by the legislature.
It would also allow courts the authority to revise ballot summaries.
In Saint Louis University’s poll, Amendment 6 is a little more than two percentage points away from having a simple majority, but Rogers said the numbers are not final.
“I definitely probably expect that these numbers will change a little bit because voters are just so not sure about it," he said.
The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7. Election Day is Nov. 3, and early voting starts Oct. 20.
