JEFFERSON CITY — A bill that would change how ballot summaries are written won initial approval Monday from the House.

HB 3146, introduced by Rep. John Simmons, R-Washington, would give the secretary of state a larger role in writing ballot summaries than the courts. It also would increase the word limit for ballot summaries from 50 words to 100 words.

Currently, the courts can rewrite the ballot language if they find it to be unacceptable. A law passed last year that gave the secretary of state three attempts at writing ballot language before the courts could step in was struck down by the state Supreme Court earlier this year.

Legislators have vowed to attempt to restore that law. The bill reintroduces the ability of the secretary of state to attempt three revisions of ballot language challenged in court.

A new wrinkle offered as an amendment on the floor was met with heavy debate because it went further than last year’s law in restricting the role of the courts in rewriting ballot language.

Under the bill debated on the House floor Monday, only the circuit court judges would have this ability to rewrite ballot language. Appeals courts and the Missouri Supreme Court would only be able to send ballot language back to the circuit courts to be changed.

The vote on the amendment passed by just six votes: 88-51. The bill was given initial approval on a voice vote.

“The Supreme Court justices seem to have assumed on how they adjudicate and ... they don’t have that provision, they don’t have that authority,” Simmons said.

The bill faced strong opposition, namely from Rep. Eric Woods, D-Kansas City.

“The idea that a local judge would have more authority for a statewide ballot language than the Missouri Supreme Court is like, it’s a bizarre world,” Woods said.

Rep. Donna Barnes, D-Raytown, also opposed the bill, questioning how it helps the state.

Rep. Darin Chappell, R-Rogersville, raised a different concern with the bill. He said that he believes that no court has the authority to change ballot language, whether that be the Missouri Supreme Court or any lower court.

“The reality is there’s nothing in the Constitution, there’s nothing in the RSMO (Missouri revised statutes) that gives judges the authority to rewrite the ballot language,” Chappell said.