Another Missouri ballot fight heads to court

By Jason Hancock | Editor-in-Chief

Good morning.

Missouri voters made one decision about the initiative petition process Tuesday. Whether they get to make another one in November may now be up to a judge.

Respect Missouri Voters, which helped defeat Amendment 4 this week, sued Secretary of State Denny Hoskins on Thursday after he blocked the group’s proposed constitutional amendment from the fall ballot. The proposal would make it significantly harder for lawmakers to alter measures voters approve through the initiative process.

The case turns on more than whether that amendment complies with the constitution. Hoskins also withdrew a ballot title his office approved nearly a year ago — before supporters used it to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures.

That gives the courts less than five weeks to resolve another consequential fight over who gets to write the rules governing Missouri’s initiative process.

by Jason Hancock

The proposed amendment would declare initiative and referendum powers a fundamental right, preserve existing signature and statewide majority requirements and prevent lawmakers from weakening the initiative process.

by Anna Spoerre

The campaign opposing a November ballot measure that would reinstate Missouri’s abortion ban has raised more than $6.5 million. Supporters of the ban have raised just over $1 million as of this week.

by Suzanne King

Every carrier selling health insurance in the two states through the Affordable Care Act marketplace hopes to raise premiums in 2027, according to preliminary rate filings with state insurance regulators.

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