The November 6th general election includes 7 ballot issues. This includes four constitutional amendments and three propositions. Over the next couple weeks, KCHI will provide both the ballot language and “fair ballot language for each.
Constitutional Amendment 1
Ballot Language reads as follows:
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
- change process and criteria for redrawing state legislative districts during reapportionment;
- change limits on campaign contributions that candidates for state legislature can accept from individuals or entities;
- establish a limit on gifts that state legislators, and their employees, can accept from paid lobbyists;
- prohibit state legislators, and their employees, from serving as paid lobbyists for a period of time;
- prohibit political fundraising by candidates for or members of the state legislature on State property; and
- require legislative records and proceedings to be open to the public?
State governmental entities estimate annual operating costs may increase by $189,000. Local governmental entities expect no fiscal impact.
Fair Ballot Language:
A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to change the process and criteria for redrawing state legislative district boundaries during reapportionment (redistricting). Currently, bipartisan house and senate commissions redraw boundaries and those maps are adopted if 70% of the commissioners approve the maps. This amendment has a state demographer chosen from a panel selected by the state auditor redraw the boundaries and submit those maps to the house and senate commissions. This amendment would then allow changes to the demographer’s maps only if 70% of the commissioners vote to make changes and do so within two months after receiving the maps from the state demographer. The amendment also reduces the limits on campaign contributions that candidates for state senator or state representative can accept from individuals or entities by $100 per election for a senate candidate and $500 for a house candidate. The amendment creates a $5 limit on gifts that state legislators and their employees can accept from paid lobbyists or the lobbyists’ clients, and prohibits state legislators and their employees from serving as paid lobbyists for a period of two years after the end of their last legislative session. The amendment prohibits political fundraising by candidates for or members of the state legislature on State property. The amendment further requires all legislative records and proceedings to be subject to the state open meetings and records law (Missouri Sunshine Law).
A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution regarding redistricting, campaign contributions, lobbyist gifts, limits on lobbying after political service, fundraising locations, and legislative records and proceedings.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
