Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
Missouri News Network: Statehouse News for MPA Members
This report is written by Missouri School of Journalism students for publication by MPA member newspapers in print and online.
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Missouri News Network this week has stories around the state Supreme Court’s decision on November ballot initiatives, issues surrounding rural energy issues and the potential impact of new restrictions on youth access to the online content.
If you have thoughts or questions, contact Fred Anklam at anklamf@missouri.edu.
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THURSDAY
Supreme Court puts congressional map, Amendment 6 on November ballot
By Jackson Cooper, Missouri News Network
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Thursday that two additional measures will appear on ballots in November.
The unanimous rulings, authored by Justice Ginger Gooch, reverse Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’ efforts to block both measures from appearing in front of voters.
One of the measures is a citizen-initiative referendum on the state’s new congressional map, which was controversially redrawn by the Republican-controlled legislature last fall.
The other is a constitutional amendment that would establish a high threshold for the legislature to repeal voter-approved laws.
The map referendum will appear on ballots as Proposition A, and the amendment will appear as Amendment 6.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway released a statement saying she would appeal the decision.
“Never before in American history has a court overturned a congressional map after a primary and before a general election,” Hanaway said. “This unprecedented decision clearly violates federal law and has thrust our state into a full‑fledged constitutional crisis.”
Both measures were the subject of a year’s worth of legal wrangling, all culminating in a state Supreme Court battle on Wednesday.
The gerrymandered maps were approved last October at the urging of President Donald Trump, seeking to turn one of the state’s two Democratic seats into a Republican seat.
Midterm elections historically see losses by the party of the incumbent president, and Trump has been encouraging states to redraw congressional districts — normally done every 10 years after the federal census — for the fall election.
When the court heard arguments Wednesday, much of the state’s focus was on the potentially harmful ramifications of abandoning a map that had already been used in the August primary election. Any changes, state lawyers argued, would degrade trust in the electoral system.
However, the court’s decision puts the blame on Hoskins for his repeated efforts to avoid certifying the map referendum, stating that any confusion about the maps was “caused by the secretary of state’s delay.”
Hoskins’ opposition to the referendum “fundamentally misunderstand(s)” the map’s status pending a popular vote, the decision concluded.
The congressional seat ruling directly affects U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, and state Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville.
Now Cleaver will be running for re-election in his heavily Democratic district. Brattin had entered the race because the 5th Congressional District redrawn by the GOP majority in the legislature included conservative rural areas that are dependably Republican based on past voting trends.
In a statement, Brattin called the ruling “blatantly unconstitutional.”
“With the stroke of a pen, the Missouri Supreme Court has disenfranchised tens of thousands of voters who cast their ballot in the 5th District in the primary, only to be thrown into another district entirely — and with candidates they did not have a chance to vote on — for the General Election,” he said.
The decision on Amendment 6 means voters will decide whether to make it more difficult for legislators to overturn laws voters have approved at the ballot box.
“For more than 118 years, Missourians have had the power to put issues directly before the voters,” Eric Bronner, co-founder of Veterans for All Voters, said in a news release.
“Amendment 6 is about protecting that right and making sure that when Missourians vote for something, politicians can’t simply undo their decision after the election,” he said.
Amendment 6, if approved, would require 80% approval of both chambers of the legislature before lawmakers can send changes of a voter-approved initiative back to voters for them to reconsider.
In placing Amendment 6 on the ballot, the court rejected Hoskins’ claims that the measure violated the Missouri Constitution by attempting to change more than one section of state law.
“It also complies with the constitution’s single-subject requirement because all its provisions relate to the single overarching subject of protecting Missouri citizens’ constitutionally reserved lawmaking power through initiative and referenda,” Gooch wrote in her opinion.
Thursday’s rulings mark another set of losses for Missouri Republicans, who have struggled to build momentum in the lead-up to the midterms.
The August primary saw an overwhelming defeat of an effort by legislators to make it more difficult for citizens to amend the Missouri Constitution. That proposal lost in every county in the state and gained less than 20% of the statewide vote.
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Mizzou-based rural energy institution publishes first research paper
By Andrew Davis, Missouri News Network
Energy is the word of the week at the University of Missouri. The Mizzou-based Center for Rural Energy Security discussed its first research paper Thursday at a conference in Mizzou’s Reynolds Journalism Institute.
The center researches issues in rural energy to inform legislators and policy leaders. At the event, director Michael Sykuta shared his commitment to covering rural communities.
“We are the only institute in the country that focuses on how energy policy affects rural America,” Sykuta said. “There’s a lot of energy institutes in the United States. Nobody’s looking at how it affects the rural side of America.”
Cooper Drury, dean of the Mizzou College of Arts and Science, shared insight into the institute at Thursday’s event.
“(The center) is helping rural Missourians and decision-makers better understand how energy policies and technology innovate, affect citizens, farms, businesses and communities,” Drury said. “This information will help our state make informed decisions and pursue progress that brings the benefits for everyone.”
The center’s first paper, titled “Powering Rural Prosperity: The Local Economic Impact of Utility-Scale Wind and Solar Developments,” compared economic changes between rural counties that instituted renewable energy programs and those that did not from 2001 to 2023.
Adrienne Ohler, the paper’s lead author and an associate professor of applied economics at Mizzou, shared her findings at the event.
“It looks at, for counties that build wind or build solar, what actually happened in terms of GDP growth,” Ohler said. “It’s a nuanced answer because renewables isn’t meant for every single county.”
The center’s conference followed the $50 million donation from PayneCrest Electric Chairman David Payne on Wednesday for the new Payne Energy Innovation Center, which is expected to open in fall 2028, according to a Mizzou news release.
“This research facility will have scientists (and) engineers, who will collaborate with press, policy, legal and economic experts,” Drury said about the innovation center.
The center’s paper and Payne’s donation come during a crucial time in energy development, said Kurt Schaefer, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
“The decisions that we make today are going to dictate, really, what happens into 2040, 2050,” Schaefer said. “We’re seeing demand of two, possibly up to even three, percent annual growth, potentially even up until 2040. That’s energy growth in base load demand that we have never really seen in this country.”
As energy concerns rise throughout the country, the center plans to continue researching how future legislation will affect rural communities.
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WEDNESDAY
Voter power at stake as Missouri Supreme Court hears controversial ballot cases
By Emily Skidmore, Jordan Davis and Anika Austvold, Missouri News Network
JEFFERSON CITY— The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in three cases that could reshape how much power Missourians have to challenge their lawmakers through initiatives and referendums.
Outside the courthouse, supporters of the three measures called on the court to let voters decide their fate. The demonstration reflected the broader issue before the judges: whether Secretary of State Denny Hoskins can block a proposal from the ballot because he believes it is unconstitutional, even after supporters collect enough signatures.
Inside, the judges considered whether Missourians should be allowed to vote on the congressional map Republican lawmakers passed last year and whether a proposed amendment making it harder for legislators to alter voter-approved initiatives should appear on the November ballot.
The court faces a tight deadline. Its decisions are expected before Sept. 8, the deadline for the Nov. 3 ballot to be finalized.
Initiative hearing
The first hearing was on proposed Amendment 6, which would make it harder for legislators to alter voter-approved initiatives. The proposal would require lawmakers to have at least 80% majority support in both the House and Senate or in a public vote in order to change an initiative.
The citizens’ initiative seeking to place the question on the ballot received more than 367,000 signatures.
The proposed amendment was rejected Aug. 4 by Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, stating that it included more than one subject, which is prohibited under the state constitution. Additionally, Hoskins changed the ballot title of the initiative and certified it after it was submitted to his office.
Chief Justice W. Brent Powell questioned when the single-subject concern came from Hoskins and if a complaint of that nature should have been made before the signatures were collected from constituents.
Lawyers for the state argued that the secretary is allowed to have self-determination in changing ballot material like voter-based initiatives brought before him, especially if it is to protect against “anti-democratic” principles. They also stated that he is within his right in the Missouri Constitution to change his decision at any time.
Gerrymandered maps
The court then heard arguments over whether Missouri voters can use the referendum process to reject the congressional map passed by Republican lawmakers during a 2025 special session.
Opponents of the map submitted more than 300,000 signatures seeking to place the new maps before voters for approval. Hoskins rejected the referendum effort, arguing that congressional redistricting is a power reserved for the Missouri General Assembly and cannot be challenged through a public vote.
Attorney Chuck Hatfield, representing the referendum’s supporters, argued that the Missouri Constitution allows referendums on “any act of the General Assembly.” The Constitution excludes appropriations and emergency legislation, but the redistricting bill did not include an emergency clause.
Hatfield said the state was trying to find a reason to keep the referendum off the ballot after its supporters had already collected the required signatures.
“This is all after-the-fact stuff, trying to come up with some reason not to put the referendum on the ballot,” Hatfield said.
State attorneys argued that the Missouri Constitution prohibits referendums on redistricting plans. They also warned that changing congressional districts after the Aug. 4 primary could create confusion and conflict with federal election law.
The primary was conducted using the new map. If the Supreme Court places the referendum on the ballot, it may also have to address whether the state should use the new boundaries or return to the districts used in the 2022 and 2024 elections for the November general election.
Hatfield argued Hoskins created the uncertainty by moving forward with the primary while the map remained under legal challenge. He said the state should return to the previous districts if the court determines that the referendum should have suspended use of the new map.
“The secretary of state will run an election on something that’s not the law,” Hatfield said. “It’s very dangerous for an election that is only a few weeks away.”
After the hearing, Hoskins said his office would follow the Supreme Court’s ruling. However, he did not directly answer which map the state would use if the court restores the referendum but does not specify boundaries for the November election.
“We will comply with any court order given the parameters and the deadlines that we have,” Hoskins said.
Missourians rally
In the final case heard, Hatfield brought before the court a matter he said was less pressing, centered around the group People Not Politicians.
Spread all across the state, the group has been encouraging signatures for various initiatives to appear on the midterm election ballot. However, after gaining over 100,000 signatures, the amount needed for an initiative to be pushed through, the attorney general delayed the process by objecting to the ballot.
The organization had to go out and gather 100,000 more new signatures, differing from the people who originally signed.
Marc Ellinger, a prominent Republican attorney, and William Seidleck, representing the state Attorney General’s office, pushed for the entire case to be ruled moot. They argued against Hatfield that the signatures — no matter how many were collected — are either not valid or were not obtained within the correct time frame.
During and after the hearing, members of People Not Politicians and allied groups gathered in front of the Supreme Court building, equipped with a band and chants.
Richard Von Glahn, the group’s executive director, stated that the people have the right to a referendum and is confident that Proposition A will end up on the ballot this coming election.
“This charade they’ve been playing for months ends today,” Von Glahn said in response to the delays the group has faced from the state.
Nurses, farmers, veterans and even a state representative showed their support for these cases.
Kenda Caloroso is a retired nurse from Kansas City who said she has been speaking out and volunteering for years. Frustrated with the people in power, Caloroso came to the rally to support People Not Politicians to “take charge of our futures, for our children, for my grandchildren.”
Will Westmorlin, an advocate and farmer in the group, stated that this is “not about red versus blue,” stressing that the signatures gained over the past months reached people of all demographics and areas of Missouri.
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Research shows wind and solar can boost rural economies
By Jana Rose Schleis, Missouri News Network
New research from the University of Missouri shows wind and solar farms can bring economic gains to rural communities.
Energy generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar has grown as power companies diversify from fossil fuel sources. A new report from the MU Center for Rural Energy Security analyzed the economic impact of renewable energy in rural counties.
Adrienne Ohler, Mizzou economist and lead researcher on the study, analyzed economic factors in counties with renewable power plants to those without from 2001 to 2023.
The economic advantage of solar energy development in rural counties materialized in the utilities, construction and transportation sectors, which saw 10%-20% increases in employment and wages. The communities hosting wind energy infrastructure saw an increase in gross domestic product by approximately 7%.
Ohler, who is from a rural area herself, said she witnessed firsthand how energy development can be controversial. She said concerns about property values and taking farmland out of production can divide neighbors.
“Renewable energy isn’t right for every community,” she said. “There are good reasons to adopt it and good reasons to set up ordinances and permitting that would limit what it would look like in a community.”
Large-scale wind and solar power plants are disproportionately sited in rural areas — 70% of large-scale solar and 94% of wind farms are built on cropland. Ohler said local leaders should take note of the policies in communities that have had success.
“For a county or a community to have positive effects, they would need to have similar mechanisms in place, similar policies and regulations in place,” she said.
The report states that neither wind nor solar development were associated with declining agricultural GDP, employment or wages, suggesting that renewable energy development does not substantially diminish agricultural economic activity.
Nearly 10% of Missouri’s electricity comes from wind and just more than 1% comes from solar power. There were a number of bills proposed in the Missouri legislature last year to ban or limit renewable energy. Those opposed to renewable energy projects raised concerns about property rights and values and how the infrastructure impacts quality of life in rural areas.
James Owen is the executive director of Renew Missouri, an organization that advocates for solar and wind power. He said that although renewable energy projects don’t bring many long-term jobs to rural counties, communities can benefit from increased tax revenue.
“What’s going to benefit a school district, fire district, ambulance district?” Owen said. “Those are the things that I think rural communities certainly do care about, should care about.”
Additionally, Owen said domestic power is more reliable than oil and gas that’s imported.
“Solar and wind do not go through the Strait of Hormuz. It can be produced right here,” Owen said. “So if you want to have reliable electricity that is somewhat cost-efficient, you’ve got to be able to have this, and sometimes that’s going to be in your backyard.”
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Pet-friendly domestic violence shelters protect survivors at both ends of the leash
By Rebecca Smith, Missouri News Network
It’s nearly 10 a.m. on Aug. 7, and while it already feels like nearly 100 degrees, a group of 15 or so volunteers from Wayside Waifs are busy setting up a canopy and carting out totes of dog and cat food, extra leashes, pet toys and more.
Wayside Waifs is a Kansas City-based animal rescue, and the staff are preparing for an on-site vaccination event and veterinary clinic at Rose Brooks Center, a domestic violence shelter.
“Unfortunately, we know that when animals are being abused, a lot of times people are, and when people are being abused, a lot of times animals are,” said Ashley Stanley, the director of community education and outreach for Wayside Waifs.
She said their partnership with Rose Brooks began more than a decade ago — originally to provide temporary crisis housing for pets when domestic violence survivors escape their abusers
According to the latest PALS survey from the Urban Resource Institute and the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 37% of respondents said their abuser threatened to harm or kill a family pet.
But some other research reports incidence rates as high as 89% among pet-owing survivors.
Additionally, 50% of survivors in the PALS survey responded that they wouldn’t consider shelter for themselves if they couldn’t bring their pets with them.
“Pets are part of the family. There are such strong bonds that exist between owners and their pets, and once you have that bond with an animal, that sometimes doesn’t even become a question,” Stanley said. “It’s unthinkable to imagine leaving your pet behind in that situation because it would be like leaving an important member of your family behind.”
Rose Brooks Shelter Manager Brenda Perla said it’s not uncommon for abusers to manipulate that bond between survivors and their pets. Often, abusers will withhold veterinary care, physically harm an animal or threaten to do so if the survivors leaves.
“The pet is, sometimes, unfortunately, one of those pawns that gets used as leverage,” Perla said, “to try to keep that survivor in that relationship and for the abuser to keep having the control.”
Perla said that’s why Rose Brooks began a pet program back in 2012. Since then, the program has expanded — now offering the Purr Palace for cats and Paws Place for dogs, which provide safe, solo kenneling and enrichment opportunities for up to 10 families’ pets at a time.
Perla said survivors in individual rooms can keep their animal with them much of the time, but also can know their animal is safe and looked after when going to work or running errands.
“They’ve had to be in survival mode together,” Perla said. “So, I think that’s one of the precious things about working here is that we’re trying to keep that bond as close as possible together. That way, they are able to keep going on to their next chapter.”
Bringing veterinary care to survivors
After around an hour, a large bus pulls into the shelter parking lot. It’s covered in purple and white, as well as pictures of animals, and it carries everything needed for a veterinary clinic on the go.
This bus is part of Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s outreach program — which provides comprehensive wellness checks and preventative care directly to underserved and isolated populations.
“Most of the pets just needed some vaccines,” said Elizabeth Scarbrough, the K-State community outreach and shelter medicine intern. “It sounds like a lot of them are for housing-related issues … they were pretty much happy and healthy.”
She said that vaccinations — especially the rabies vaccine — are essential when survivors begin looking for housing.
Today, she’s leading a team of first- and second-year student veterinarians. She said the clinic is a good opportunity for students to practice their observational and conversational skills, as well as learn how to engage with human and animal survivors that have experienced trauma.
“We can learn everything medically, but that doesn’t matter if you can’t explain it to someone or connect with someone to where they can trust you to do the medical things, or do the surgery, or just give the pill — all of those things come with building trust, and that comes with communication and meeting people where they’re at,” Scarbrough said.
Throughout the next few hours, the student vets meet with survivors and their pets — both dogs and cats — and give each animal a thorough exam while also addressing any questions and concerns the survivors had.
Scarbrough said she hopes the experience will prepare students for when they have a veterinary practice of their own by making them more capable of engaging with domestic violence survivors and, perhaps, more able to spot potential signs of abuse in clients.
“Everyone is worthy of the human-animal bond, and just because you are in a situation that is extremely difficult does not mean you are any less worthy of that care — I’d argue you’re even more worthy because ... vulnerability takes so much power and bravery,” Scarbrough, said. “It hurts my heart that they feel the need to apologize (to their pets), but I understand why, and it’s my job, as a veterinarian, not only to care for the animal, but to care for the person and their bond, and to build them up to remember that they are worthy.”
Finding safe haven in your community
Dana was one of the Rose Brooks residents that brought her dog, Freya, to get checked out. For safety purposes, KBIA is not using Dana’s real name. She said she was worried because Freya has been losing weight and hadn’t seemed as interested in her food as of late.
Dana said the last few months have been hard for the pair since escaping their abuser earlier this year. One night, her abuser violently attacked her, but Freya “got him off of me” by biting him.
“He kicked her really hard, but I was able to get out and away from him,” Dana said. “She saved my life.”
Since then, their abuser has been arrested, and Dana has been trying to rebuild their lives. She said it’s hard work that has been tumultuous at times. They’ve spent some time living in a car, and Freya has had to stay with family members and at a boarding facility — separated from Dana.
Then earlier this summer, Dana said she was delivered a “Godsend” — a spot at Rose Brooks.
Being at the shelter, she said, has allowed her to work three jobs and earn money for a future apartment, all while knowing Freya is safe at the facility.
Today, the student veterinarians discovered that Freya has a rotten tooth that needs to be pulled and likely has worms, both of which could explain the weight loss.
Luckily, the clinic was able to give Freya a dewormer, help Dana schedule a future oral health appointment to remove the tooth, provider her with several months of flea and tick preventative, and set her up with some additional supplies, such as a leash, food and toys.
“Just to know she’s okay is invaluable, you can’t put a number on that, and I am so grateful for this today because she is my best friend, she’s my rock, she’s the reason I’m here,” Dana said. “She kept me going when I wanted to give up, so, I would pay any price, but I am glad … I didn’t have to.”
“There is … this dedication to this animal who has been by me throughout all of this, or who has maybe interrupted a violent upload and has protected me, or you know who I’ve wanted to protect but haven’t always been able to because I didn’t have the resources,” said Claire Coughlin, the director of the Companion Animals Program for the Animal Welfare Institute.
“And so, people are incredibly dedicated to the animals that have been with them and through these things with them,” she added.
Coughlin said the institute launched the Safe Havens for Pets directory in 2011, which is a searchable database of domestic violence shelters that provide resources to survivors with companion animals.
She added that the latest estimates show that approximately 20% of domestic violence shelters in the country are now pet-friendly, “which may not initially sound great, but it is actually up quite a lot from several years ago.”
But unfortunately, survivors are not always aware those resources exist. According to the URI’s PALS report, 72% of respondents were not aware that some shelters accept pets.
Coughlin says that “pet-friendly” looks different from shelter to shelter — some have private rooms for pet owners, some partner with rescues for short term holds and some use short-term fosters to provide a safe place for pets while the survivor rebuilds.
“So, we see a lot of very creative approaches,” Coughlin said.
When it comes to shelters, she said the institute has developed resources to help them identify and determine what options may be best for them, as well as created safety planning materials that can be used to prepare survivors.
And they’ve worked to get policies passed that protect the pets of survivors, such as the inclusive of pets in protection orders in many states.
But, Coughlin said, one of the best things shelters and loved ones can do is just know about pet-friendly resources that exist and be willing to help survivors — two and four legged alike.
“Most Americans identify pets as family members, and… often that bond is that much stronger for someone who doesn’t have healthy relationships elsewhere in their life, who doesn’t have support,” she said. “That bond is incredibly strong, and the idea of breaking it is, I mean, no more manageable to think about than breaking a bond with a child for survivors.”
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TUESDAY
New Instagram, Facebook restrictions for minors could be narrow in impact
By Nico Berlin, Missouri News Network
Meta will soon restrict minors’ use of Instagram and Facebook as part of its $17 billion settlement with U.S. states. Along with other limitations, minors using Instagram or Facebook will be cut off after two hours of use.
Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, a professor of public health at WashU Medicine, said she is optimistic that these restrictions will help the next generation of social media users.
However, Cavazos-Rehg said she is concerned teenagers or other users who have aged out of the restrictions and are already addicted won’t see the same health benefit. Age verification can be worked around, and unless other platforms join the settlement, social media users can just switch to another platform.
“It sounds like there’s some freedom on how these funds can be spent, but there’s also, I would think, some responsibility to use these funds to help those individuals, those families ... people who have been deeply affected by these platforms,” Cavazos-Rehg said.
Cavazos-Rehg said investing in preventative measures, intervention efforts and increasing psychiatric clinicians would be among the most effective in treating youth social media-related mental health issues.
No official decision has been made on what Missouri will do with its $100 million in settlement money, but the state’s attorney general communications director has said it will likely go toward public messaging on safe social media practices.
Based on the outcomes of previous public messaging campaigns, Cavazos-Rehg doubts solely distributing information about the risks of social media addiction would be helpful as a preventative measure. Historical research found DARE — Drug Abuse Resistance Education — to be ineffective.
“Because everyone knows these platforms are addictive and that everyone is excessively using them,” Cavazos-Rehg said. “So, how would it help to send the message that these platforms are harmful when it’s something that’s already pretty obvious?”
Before disbursing the money, Cavazos-Rehg hopes the state will work with experts to decide how those funds are eventually used.
As states decide how to spend the money, Meta will be busy implementing the several restrictions laid out in its settlement. While some of those restrictions in the settlement are up to interpretation, Saint Louis University law professor Anders Walker said how well Meta implements them could protect the company from bankruptcy.
“Because there’s so many millions of kids on these platforms, they’re looking at cascading lawsuits,” Walker said. “And there’s no way even Mark Zuckerberg can pay that. He’s going to do everything he can to calm people down.”
If other platforms like Snapchat and TikTok join the settlement, Missouri would receive an additional $50 million in payouts. Walker said it’s in other social media companies’ best interest to change their policies so they can dismiss potential similar lawsuits as frivolous.
“The other problem is juries are probably older folks, and they’re not on these platforms. And all they hear is that they’re bad,” Walker said. “It’s going to be hard to find a group of 12-year-olds who love Snapchat (for a jury).”
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MONDAY
Missouri Supreme Court to hear cases on ballot issues
By Emily Skidmore, Missouri News Network
Issues that have been blocked from the November ballot will get a hearing before the Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Two major questions must be settled by the court:
The court has a tight deadline to issue its decisions, as the November election ballot must be approved by Sept. 8.
Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled in favor of Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in both cases, accepting his interpretation in August that both attempts are unconstitutional.
The appeals have been brought to the state’s Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort by challengers to have the questions placed on the November ballot. Understanding the urgency, the court took the unusual step of ordering expedited hearings and rulings by the lower courts.
Here’s what to look for on Wednesday.
Debate over gerrymandering
The adoption of the new congressional map last year from Republican legislatures has sparked debate from opponents who are questioning its legality, as Republicans are favored in the newly drawn 5th Congressional District.
Challengers of the gerrymandered map have submitted more than a dozen lawsuits against state legislators since the map’s adoption. Primary elections for both political parties were held Aug. 4 using the new maps.
That same day, Hoskins blocked a referendum petition containing more than 300,000 signatures submitted by a political action committee, People Not Politicians, stating that the Missouri and U.S. constitutions do not allow a referendum on a redistricting plan.
Hoskins has refused to say whether the petition had enough signatures to make the ballot, stating that because his findings found them unconstitutional, the signature counts are irrelevant.
People Not Politicians filed a lawsuit that same day challenging Hoskins’ decision.
If the Supreme Court upholds the ruling, it sets a precedent that Missourians cannot use the referendum process to challenge a redistricting plan.
Disconnect between lawmakers and voters
In recent Missouri elections, there has been a difference in legislature-based actions and Missouri voters’ response. The most recent case comes from Amendment 3, a proposed amendment that, if adopted, will ban abortion in Missouri. Voters approved abortion and reproductive rights in the state in 2024.
A proposed amendment initiative that would make it harder for lawmakers to alter voter-approved initiatives received more than 367,000 signatures.
Hoskins declared on Aug. 4 that the proposed constitutional amendment would not be on the November ballot because it included more than one subject, which is forbidden under the state constitution. He did not state if the petition received a sufficient number of valid signatures when he rejected the petition.
Respect MO Voters, a political action committee behind the proposed amendment, filed a lawsuit in response to his decision on Aug. 6.
Green found that the amendment placed unconstitutional restrictions on the actions of future lawmakers and impermissibly combined multiple subjects within the initiative.
The Missouri Supreme Court must render a decision by the Sept. 8 deadline. Its decision will play a large role in shaping the November ballot and future voter-led initiative and referendum processes.
