Dear Editor,
Petition signing has begun for the initiative, Respect Missouri Voters. The launch day was Sept. 10. You will see volunteers over the state collecting signatures (300,000) so that this initiative can be put on the ballot in November of 2026.
This initiative has three goals: to keep politicians from interfering with initiatives the voters have already passed; to keep politicians from trying to restrict us from using the initiative process; and to ensure clear language is used on ballots that doesn’t confuse us when we vote.
Citizen Initiatives, as a way to propose laws, began in Missouri in 1896. People believed that state legislatures, heavily influenced by wealthy interests, had become inefficient. They looked for ways the average citizen could bypass the legislature and become directly involved in the political process. It took 10 years for this initiative to become part of our state constitution. Now our legislature wants to take away this right and leave them to legislate without OUR checks and balances.
I’ll list some of the initiatives, 96 since the beginning of the process, that have impressed me:
• 1924, construction of state’s highways;
• 1936, Conservation Commission to manage fish, game and forest resources;
• 1940, The Missouri Plan to select judges based on merit by a non-partisan group;
• 1980, The Hancock Amendment, which requires voter approval to raise state and local taxes; and,
• 2020, Medicaid expansion
(You will find a complete list on the internet. All my material came directly from the Secretary of State’s website.)
I will be here and there around town with my petition sheets, avoiding the hot sun, seeking it when it cools down, from now until the end of December when we need to have all our petition sheets sent in to the Secretary of State. If you would like me to come to an event for folks to sign the petition, stop by and arrange a time with me. Direct Democracy, when each of us can vote on what we want when the legislature disregards our voice, is worth fighting for.
Mimi Hedl, Belle
