To the Editor:
Last week Senator Ben Brown wrote an article in this paper and flat out said that he does not care about our voices.
Unfortunately, some people will believe every word he says. I’m here to try to help you understand you do matter and your voice matters.
He is touting his Senate Bill 152 and calling it a way to “protect elections from foreign influence.” But let’s be honest — this isn’t about foreign money. This is about silencing Missouri voters and stripping away one of the last tools we have to hold power accountable.
What they’re really targeting is Missouri’s ballot initiative process — one of the few ways regular people can get real change on the ballot when lawmakers refuse to act. They don’t want us getting topics on the ballot to vote on as citizens.
Here’s how it works: To get an initiative on the ballot, you have to collect signatures from 8% of legal voters in two-thirds of Missouri’s congressional districts. Every single signature must be verified and certified by the Secretary of State’s office. It’s no small task — it takes time, money, organization, and a whole lot of people power. But it’s effective — and that’s exactly why they want to gut it.
Look at what we’ve passed in recent years — because the people demanded it, not the politicians:
• Medicaid Expansion (2020): Lawmakers wouldn’t do it. We did.
• Medical Marijuana (2018): The legislature dragged its feet. Voters made it happen.
• Minimum Wage Increase (2018): We got it on the ballot. We passed it.
• Clean Missouri (2018): Ethics reform, fair maps, and transparency — led by voters, not lawmakers.
• Amendment 3 (2024): The people of Missouri restored reproductive freedom after politicians banned it. Voters made it clear — we will not be silenced when it comes to our bodies, our rights, and our future.
Now Senate Bill 152 is trying to rewrite the rules — making it harder, more expensive, and nearly impossible for grassroots efforts to succeed. They’re using “foreign influence” as a smokescreen, but let’s call it what it is: a strategic attempt to take power away from the people and lock it in the hands of politicians.
They know the ballot initiative process works. They’ve seen us use it. And now they’re scared of it.
This bill isn’t about protecting democracy — it’s about protecting themselves from democracy.
If they succeed, next time lawmakers ignore us, we won’t have a way to fight back. That’s the endgame here. And we can’t let that happen.
Tell Senator Brown we want the ballot process just like it is. It’s not broken so stop trying to fix it. You can reach Senator Ben Brown at his Jefferson City office at 573-751-3678, by email at ben.brown@senate.mo.gov, or by mail at 201 W. Capitol Avenue, Room 430, Jefferson City, Mo., 65101. His district office number is 314-807-9829.
