By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A St. Joseph state representative wants to change the initiative petition process seeking to amend the Missouri state constitution by channeling it through the General Assembly.
Rep. Bill Falkner is working on language that would funnel proposed constitutional changes through the legislature before being placed on the ballot for a vote.
“It would be vetted through the House and through the Senate,” Falkner tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We couldn’t change it, can’t vote it down, but we can dissect it and see what effects it will have in the state and what we will need to do if it passes.”
Falkner contends Missouri voters didn’t thoroughly understand every aspect of either the Clean Missouri initiative or the petition that legalized recreational marijuana on last year’s November ballot. His measure would only affect those initiative petitions seeking to change the constitution, not those seeking a change in Missouri statutes.
“My main concern is so everybody knows what we’re voting on,” according to Falkner.
Falkner is working with the Secretary of State’s office on the language of his measure.
“My main focus is, let’s make sure we know what’s in the bill and what consequences there will be on it,” Falkner says. “Then that gives us a little heads up to know what we may have to do in advance of this going into effect when it goes to the vote of the people.”
Falkner says that under his measure, the legislature would not be able to change the language of the amendment. The legislature would thoroughly study the proposed changes and what they would require if adopted by voters.
“I just think that it’s important that everybody knows what is in the bill,” Falkner says. “Both sides play this game. I’m not blaming one side or the other. But I just think this is a way to stop, take it through the process that every other bill has to go through.”
Falkner is not proposing a higher threshold to approve changes to the state constitution, but says other measures seem to be settling on 60% approval, rather than the present simple majority requirement.
A group, Progress MO, is critical of the legislature moving to change the initiative petition process, contending the efforts to change the petition process seek to end majority rule in Missouri.