SPONSOR: Lewis (6)
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass with HCS" by the Standing Committee on Elections and Elected Officials by a vote of 11 to 5. Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Rules- Administrative Oversight by a vote of 5 to 3.
The following is a summary of the House Committee Substitute for HJR 30.
Currently, amendments to the Constitution require approval from a simple majority of the votes in order to pass. Upon voter approval, this resolution would require amendments to the Constitution to receive approval from a simple majority of the votes, as well as a majority of the votes in a majority of State House of Representatives districts, in order to pass.
Only United States citizens and residents of the state of Missouri will be considered eligible voters.
The HCS adds ballot language.
The following is a summary of the public testimony from the committee hearing. The testimony was based on the introduced version of the bill.
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that increasing the vote threshold to change the Constitution without making it harder to place a measure on the ballot is a reasonable compromise between those who support and oppose initiative petition reform. Any change to the Constitution ought to require broader public consensus than that required to change the law. The General Assembly is better equipped to place a measure on the ballot than the public because its vetting process is more rigorous than that of the public. A resolution can be amended as it moves through the legislative process, unlike an initiative petition. Direct democracy is the exception to our current system of enacting laws, not the rule. Every other method of changing the law would require the vote of multiple legislative bodies representing a concurrent majority of the voting public. This bill would apply that principle to Constitutional changes submitted via initiative petition.
Testifying for the bill were Representative Lewis; Alan M Fasoldt; Ali Graeff; Alicia Gillean; Andrew Green; Andrew Rankin; Anita Martin; Anna Mullen; Becky L Bickhaus; Beverley Fries; Beverly Joy Stephenson; Bob Easley; Brittney Shutters; Bruce Summers; Bryan Albright; Byron Keelin, Freedom Principle Mo; C. Ryan Warbritton; Carla Koelling; Casilda Josephine Struckhoff; Catherine Dreher; Cheryl Bohl; Chris Borgerson; Christine Umfleet; Cindy Deggendorf; Col Rik Combs; Connie Larson; Cynthia L Redburn; Cynthia Roubique; Cynthia Stratton; Cynthia Webb; Cyril D Penner; Daniel J Tadrick; Dara Gaines; Dave Guest; David A Larson; David Gillean; David M. Neal; Debbie Schnorf; Deborah Pack; Deborah Welborn Curtis; Denise McCormack; Dennis; Donald A Bickhaus II; Donald Lowther; Douglas Mullen; Dr. Bob Curtis; Ed Abegg; Eric West; Erin Talcott; Felix Salazar; Frieda Keough; Gary Gifford; Gary L Ridenhour; Gary Lottmann; Geraldine I Graves; Geri Thwing; Glenna Bilyeu; Gordon Roberts; Hannah Huff; Harold Lammers Jr; Haven Howard; Helen Theresa Gelhot; Jacob Mohnke; Jameanners F. D; James O. Baechle; Jan Farthing; Jane E Boyce; Jane Neal; Janet Hennessey; Janet Roark; Jeanne Kemp; Jeff Leith; Jeff Hansen; Jennifer Foster; Jerry Arlon Mercier; Jessica Grimm; Jim Pelis; Joan Rawson; Joanna K Boyer; John Bartin; John Behr; John Fahrni; John Giancola; John L Antone II; John Weber; John William Struckhoff; Josephine Byrne; Joyce Boren; Judith Moorefield; Julie Shawcross; Karen Compton; Kate Martin; Katherine Goldsby; Kathy Casey; Kelly Pratt; Kenneth Kaskadden; Landon Cochran; Laura Hausladen; Laura Warbritton; Lavona Lunbeck; Lawrence Fuess; Lee White; Les Larson; Lesa Moesch; Linda Kaskadden; Lindsay Waltman; Lora Young; Lori Bourgeois; Lucy Bohl; Marcia Behr; Margie Anglen; Marianne Ojile; Mark Anthony Cascairo; Marlyn Starkey; Martha Merriman; Mary Ann Coatney; Mary Cremer; Mary Jo Fahrni; Matthew Arri; Megan R. Calzone; Melissa Thomas; Michael Blaine; Michael Duvall; Michael Gordinier; Michael Moorefield; Michele Arri; Mike Hartman; Nancy Danner; Nancy Delcour; Nancy Osborne; Nathan Vendeuvre Mooney; Nicole Olszewski; Norma Lynn Davis; Pamela L Gifford; Pamela A Adams; Patricia Cornell; Patricia Tocco; Paul K. Gewalt; Paula Fugaro; Paula Hardin; Philip Hartnagel; Ray; Ray Waltman; Raya Krause; Raymond Oldham; Rebecca Michelle Ridenhour; Renee Clark; Rian Cerny; Richard A Sproul; Richard Best; Richard Garcia; Richard Homan; Richard Keith Spurlock; Richard McKie; Richard Starkey; Rick Turner; Robert Ballay; Robert E Wells; Robert Little; Robert Louis Emling; Robert Meyer; Robert R. Bergfeld; Robyn Hamlin; Rodney D Farthing; Ron Loesch; Rosa Ballay; Roy Krause; Russell Mullins; Sally S Weber; Sandra L Tutinoi; Sarah; Savanna Dickherber; Sharon Hartnagel; Sharon Weidelman; Sheri Lester; Silvia Paletta; Stephen Martin; Stephen V. Cusumano; Steve Lampley; Steve Nieder; Steve Spears; Steven Crilly; Steven Wolfrom; Susan Myers; Susan Taylor; Susanne Boehm; Suzanne Cronin; Terri Love; Terrill C. Herring; Terry Hill; Thomas Whitby; Tiffany Lin Marler; Tim Bartin; Tracee Stotts; Tracy Montcalm; Vicki A Dunn; Viorica Georgeta Lucas; Virginia C Campbell; Wayne; Wayne & Jennell Houts; Wayne Groppe; Wendell Earl Brown; Deanne Wickens; Kim Wells; Peggy Banks; Alexis Howell; Alvin R Whitehead; Amy Ruiz; Anne Zivnuska; Barbara A Coan; Cathern Long; Dan Robert Sexson; Daniel Schlueter; Darcy L Lilley; David Goedker; David T Pelis; Debra Van Till; Don R.; Donna G. Cusumano; Gary Farrar; Gerald E. Wistrand; Janfarrar; Jarrell Lusk; Jean Chinnery; Jennifer Barker; Julia R Sanders; Karen Bergeon; Kay S Tolliver; Kim Swartz; Malinda Davies; Mary L Whitehead; Matthew Short; Mrs. Sandra Ghormley; Nancy Jones; Pamela Gonzalez; Patti Knight; Paula Juelich; Rick Purvis; Ronald Cawood; Samuel D Hunsucker; Sherri Goedker; Sherrill Ash; Stacy Summers; Susan B. Hotalling; Susan Cole; Susan Murphy; Timothy M. Brockelbank; William Stone; Heather Gardner; Joshua Friend; Michele Nunemacher; Philip G Leith; Rachael L Pelis; Vicki Anderson; Brenda Hopfer; Dr. Kenneth A. Spangler; Rebecca Boerner; Tracy J Forker; Brandon Shull; Caleb Rust; Gemey M McNabb; Rita Wiese; Adam Guttman; Cyndia Haggard; Georjene Tilton; Linda Karberg; Charles Knight; Dee Bray; Miles Brusherd; Richard Sloan; Sara B Pelis; Ron Calzone; Deven W Hooe; James S. Pelis; Jack Charchol; Peggy Charchol; William C. Pelis; Jennifer Spencer; John Webb; Marion Miller; and Missouri Right to Life.
OPPONENTS: Those who oppose the bill say that limiting access to direct democracy will discourage voter participation and exacerbate the electorate's already cynical attitude toward elected officials. No other state which currently allows its electorate to submit Constitutional amendments to the ballot requires a vote by a concurrent majority. Interest groups wouldn't resort to changing the Constitution if they could trust that the General Assembly wouldn't repeal statutory changes enacted via initiative petition. Opponents worry that ballot language is misleading and will undermine public faith in elections by seeming to imply that non- citizens are currently eligible to vote in Missouri elections.
Testifying against the bill were Amy Bonsall; Ann Ross; Beth Newman; Bethany Dixon; Beverly Joy Stephenson; Carol Moreland; Cynthia Holmes; Cynthia M Eckelkamp; Daniel F. Curran; Daniel Tracy; Dava-Leigh Brush; Don Crozier; Elizabeth A Franklin; Greg A Campbell; Jeff Briggs; Jimmy R Thwing; Kay Park; Martin Walsh, Missouri Progressive Action Group; Marvin E. Sands, Jr.; Mary Gross; Melanie D Busse; Monica M Huddleston; Richard Egan; Sherry L Buchanan; Stephanie Clarke; Steven D Reed; Susan Cunningham; Susan Gibson; Tony Smith; W B Tichenor; Walter Glenn Winfrey; Amy Crouse; Joan Gentry; Margaret E Gray; Patricia Oroark; Aidan Derossett; Ashton Kuehnel, Sierra Club, Missouri Chapter; Cheryl Lynn Adelstein, Jewish Community Relations Councils; Davod C. Lowell; Erin Gray; Getta R. Hall; James Janes; James R Turner; Jan Schumacher; Jenna Roberson; Judith A Campbell; Kathleen Dolson; Larry D. Bennett; Linda Rezny; Lisa D Witte; Mahree Skala; Malik Lendell; Margie Richcreek, Trinity Umc Justice Task Force; Melissa Vatterott, Missouri Coalition For The Environment; Michael L. Lester; Nancy Goth; Nancy Meier; Nancy Price; Patricia Bartholome, League of Women Voters of Kansas City, Jackson, Clay And Platte Counties; Paul Leykamp; Phyllis Baker; Rachel Speed; Randee Steffen; Ruth Ehresman; Sarah Starnes; Sherrie Hall; Steve McLuckie; Susan Turk, Missouri Progressive Action Group; Trish Gunby; Wendy Rigby; Amy Higgins Stambaugh; Amy Schroeder; Bailey Baker; Caleb Roth; Carl Fischer; Cathy J Smith; Charles Purnell; Claude Owen; Diane Luecke; Donald Gene Moushey; Elad Gross; Julianne Crockett; Laura Ramsey; Linda Maher; Lisa Kuehne; Lynn Nienkemper; Melanie Holtzclaw; Nichole Brinkmann; Patricia Aalseth; Rhonda Ann Riggs; Shawn Faulkingham; Stephanie Willingham; Andrew Reich; Bonnie Wilson; Carolyn McMahon; Eli Hurwitz; Kaye Campbell; Lori Parsons; M Kris Wesche; Marcia Ann Petrus; Rike Reuter-Hart; Sarah Davis; Susan C Koen; Tom Ferri; Helen J Diklich; Jennifer White; Pamela Conner; Stephen P. Allgeier; Amy Feranec; Brittany Kiefer; Daniel M Summerford; Joann Stephan; Kerry Moloney; Lori Green; Lori King; Richard M Kutta; Andrew Impastato; Cheri Crockett; David Dain Smith; Deborah Ashcraft; Emily Lapp; James Layton; Jan Brennan; Joshua Pensel; Kate Lovelady; Kyle Chilcoat; Michael Kelley; Nomachot Adiang, Missouri Health Care for All; Vanessa Wellbery, Advocates of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri; Alyssa Burke; Amanda Michel; Carly Ferdman; Charles D Banks; Charles Daniel-Schmidt; Clint Crabtree; Crystal Noamesi; Erica Ascani; Jamie Mercer; Judith Balluff; Kathy Lange; Keli Houston; Kevin Smith; MaDonna Lowell; Nancy Solomon Desloge; Padraic Mcgrath; Renee Cook; Daron Smith; Deborah Sexton; Denise D. Lieberman, Missouri Voter Protection Coalition; Diane Bird; Diane Wiegel; Donna Burge; Dorothy Arvizu; Drew Van Dyke; Jacob McGuire; Jan Rouff; Jeffrey Bittle; Kimberly Ann Bessey; Kimberly Spreng-Maxwell; Linda Kay Switlik; Mary Lindsay; Matt Beeman; Mindy Rouff; Rebecca S Tallent; Sherry Goshen; Marilyn McLeod, League of Women Voters of Missouri; Jamie N Locastro; Kathy Lafrensen; Lucas Corbin; Marcel Hagens, Action St Louis; Mary Rotter; Matthew Farwig; Nancy Meyer; Missouri NEA; Rachiel Redmond; Sean Flanagan; Stephanie Gamble; Susan Jesse; Susan Shumway; Tamela Jo Stanek; Tara Rocque; William Stein; Barbara Hoppe; Jane Reed; Joseph Zahn; Laura Burkhardt; Marla J Marantz; Thomas Williams; Timothy John McMahon; Winifred Colwill; Caroline Otte; Clarisse Teepe-Fryrear; Jessica Paxton; Lisa A Woodson; Matthew Downs; Stan Miller; Alice M Holtz; Allyn Harris Dault; Arnie C. Dienoff; Ashleigh K Behlmann; Catherine Betz; Christie Kay Mangan; Freda L Holley; Heather Yates; James M Allen; Jarrett Pillsbury; Judith Wesemann; Kristin Michelle Massaro; Lori Dameron; Mary Waggener; Melissa Maune; Stephan Cano; Tari Sander; and William Bush.
Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.