One of the Highlights this week was the introduction of the Fatima Comets, Class 3 Softball State Champions, on the floor of the House.

The members of the House gave them a warm welcome and standing ovation.  All visits and visitors to the Capitol are always welcomed.

One of the priorities of the House this year is initiative petition reform. Legislation designed to protect the sanctity of the Missouri Constitution is moving quickly through the legislative process and is now on track for discussion on the House floor.

House Speaker Dean Plocher and Speaker Pro Tem Mike Henderson said as early as thjs week the House will consider a constitutional amendment that would allow voters to change the initiative petition process.

“It’s important that we protect the right of Missouri citizens to make their voices heard while also preventing our initiative petition process from being abused by out-of-state money that has no ties to our state and no interest in working on behalf of Missouri families,” said Plocher.

He added, “Our constitution is a sacred document that should be treated with respect and amended only when absolutely necessary. By implementing commonsense reforms we can continue to give Missourians a voice but minimize the influence of special interests from outside our state.”

This week HJR 43 was approved by the House Committee on Elections and Elected Officials. If approved by the legislature and voters, the proposed constitutional amendment would change the threshold required to approve changes to the state constitution. Currently, changes to the constitution require only a simple majority for approval. HJR 43 would raise the threshold to 60 percent voter approval for passage.

Henderson, who sponsors the legislation, said, “I see the constitution as a living document but not an ever-expanding document. We have one of the largest state constitutions in the country and that’s because we keep adding and adding to it.”

He added, “Since our current constitution was written in 1945 it has changed more than 60 times. In comparison, the United States Constitution has been amended 17 times since 1791. It takes 38 states to ratify an amendment to the constitution.”

Henderson noted Missouri is currently one of only 18 states to allow initiative petitions for a constitutional change and has one of the easier processes in the country for amending the constitution.

HJR 43 was approved by the House Elections and Elected Officials Committee by a vote of 11-5. It now moves to a House Rules Committee, which must approve the bill before it moves to the floor for discussion.

The committee also passed three other proposed constitutional amendments (HJR 30, HJR 24, and HJR 25) that would modify the requirements to approve constitutional amendments.

Other issues this week included discussion of ways to reduce suicide in Missouri, particularly among its veterans.   Legislation from bill sponsors are making their way to Committees.

Committee hearings are the first steps in legislation before any bill makes it to the floor for debate.

And, Governor Mike Parson recently signed an executive order to establish a Master Plan on Aging. The plan is designed to help reduce age and disability discrimination, eliminate barriers to safe and healthy aging, and help Missourians to age with dignity.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to our office if you have questions about legislation or want to come to the Capitol for a visit.   Our office Legislative Assistant is Jill Ryals and the office number is 573-751-6668. The best email to use is bruce.sassmann@house.mo.gov. We’ll look forward to hearing from you.