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A coalition in Missouri is advocating for a new initiative that would restrict the legislature’s ability to reverse laws passed directly by voters.
The Respect Missouri Voters campaign is pushing for a measure that would require 80% approval from state lawmakers before they can pass any legislation that nullifies or alters a voter-approved initiative.
Benjamin Singer, co-founder of the group, said the campaign is a response to growing frustration from citizens who feel that their votes are being disregarded by politicians in Jefferson City.
“People were upset after seeing their efforts in gathering signatures and voting being undone repeatedly over the last 25 years,” Singer explained.
Proposal Targets Legislative Supermajority
The proposed initiative, if approved, would essentially demand bipartisan support for any bill that reverses or weakens the outcome of a statewide vote.
This would directly challenge the current Republican supermajority in both the House and Senate, potentially curbing their power to overturn popular mandates.
The campaign is aiming to place this measure on the 2026 ballot, using Missouri’s initiative petition process, which requires a certain number of valid voter signatures.
Recent Laws Spark Public Outrage
Public interest in the campaign intensified following the passage of two controversial bills earlier this year. Using the previous question (PQ) tactic in the Senate to silence a Democratic filibuster, lawmakers repealed key portions of Proposition A, which included mandatory paid sick leave along with a minimum wage increase.
Another piece of legislation authorized another statewide vote in 2026 to ban most abortions, despite Missourians having just approved a constitutional amendment protecting abortion access in November.
Singer said, “When the legislature overturned two citizen-backed measures in one day, it triggered a major wave of support for our campaign.”
Political Tensions Rise Over Initiative Reform
While Respect Missouri Voters is working to defend direct democracy, a faction of Republican lawmakers—particularly the Freedom Caucus—is seeking to tighten requirements for constitutional amendments via the initiative process.
In 2024, they supported legislation that would have required a majority vote across Missouri’s eight congressional districts, in addition to a statewide majority, to approve constitutional changes. Critics argue that such a system would give disproportionate influence to rural, conservative regions.
Though Democrats blocked that proposal with a filibuster, the Freedom Caucus is now urging Governor Mike Kehoe to convene an extraordinary session to revisit initiative petition reform and redistricting proposals—specifically, efforts to redraw a Kansas City district to achieve a 7-1 Republican advantage.
Funding and Public Backing Grow
Following the passage of the recent abortion and sick leave legislation, the Missouri Ethics Commission reported that the Respect Missouri Voters PAC raised over $200,000.
The group aims to gather the necessary number of signatures to qualify its proposal for the 2026 ballot.
If successful, the measure would still only require a simple majority of voters statewide—unless Republican efforts to change that threshold succeed.
As Missouri lawmakers continue to override citizen-approved measures, grassroots organizations like Respect Missouri Voters are stepping up to protect direct democracy.
While the Republican-led Freedom Caucus pushes for reforms to make it harder to amend the constitution, the battle over who holds final authority—the people or the politicians—continues to escalate heading into 2026.