Updated June 26, 2024
Voters statewide will decide on several changes to the Missouri Constitution in August and also in November along with electing state officials. May 5th was the deadline for organizations to turn in signatures of registered voters that must be checked before placing their issues on the ballot.
Among possible issues include a new casino near Lake of the Ozarks; a proposal to preserve abortion rights for women; legalized sports wagering; and increasing the minimum wage in Missouri state law to $15 an hour beginning in 2026.
To place an initiative petition on the ballot in Missouri, signatures must be collected that equal eight percent of the vote for Governor in 2020 in six of the eight Congressional districts of the state. About 171,600 signatures are required. They are turned in to the secretary of state’s office in Jefferson City and must be distributed throughout the state to local county clerks and election authorities who verify the signatures of local voters.
For any of the issues with enough certified signatures to be placed on the August ballot, work of county clerks and the secretary of state’s staff must be done by early June, which is unlikely, according to the secretary of state’s office.
Here is more on the potential ballot issues, likely in November:
The Osage River Gaming & Convention Committee turned in more than 320,000 signatures. If approved by voters, a hotel, convention center, restaurants, and other attractions would be included in the project. The casino would be located along the Osage River between the Bagnell Dam and the Missouri River. The current limit on licensed casinos in Missouri is 13. If approved, another license would be extended to the Osage River casino.
Supporters of the abortion rights proposal turned in more than 380,000 signatures, which is more than twice the total needed to qualify for the statewide ballot. The coalition, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said the ballot measure would legalize abortion up to the point of “fetal viability.” Currently, nearly every abortion is illegal in Missouri except for medical emergencies.
340,000 petition signatures were delivered to the secretary of state’s office on May 2nd, by a coalition of Missouri professional sports franchises seeking to put legalization of sports gambling on the November ballot. The proposal would add sports wagering to the Missouri Constitution, if approved by voters, and includes granting licenses to professional sports teams, casinos, and online websites.
On May 1st, Missouri Jobs with Justice turned in about 210,000 signatures. Since the proposal to raise the minimum wage is a state statute change, not in the Constitution, at least 115,000 signatures must be valid. The ballot issue also includes a requirement that many workers get paid sick leave.
Governor Parson has placed Constitutional Amendment 4 on the August ballot which, if approved by the voters, provides an exception to allow for a law that increases minimum funding, if increased before Dec. 31, 2026, for the Kansas City Police Department, a police force established by a state board of police commissioners to ensure they have additional resources to serve their community. A similar amendment had been approved by voters in November 2022, but the Missouri Supreme Court struck down the amendment on May 1, 2024, critical of the amendment’s fiscal note provided to Kansas City voters. The Supreme Court ordered a new election to be held on Nov. 5, 2024, but the Governor scheduled the election in August.
One more issue, placed on the August ballot by Governor Parson and approved by the General Assembly in 2023, is state Constitutional Amendment 1 to allow places where persons, corporations, organizations, and associations provide childcare outside of a child’s home to be exempt from property taxes, intended to make childcare more available.
Two other state Constitutional amendments will be voted on in November, Senate Joint Resolutions that were passed by the 2024 General Assembly.
SJR 71 (Black, R-Chillicothe), if approved by voters, provides for the levying of certain costs and fees to support the salaries and benefits of sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys, and circuit attorneys.
SJR 78 (Brown, R-Washington), relating to elections, provides that only citizens of the U.S., 18 years old and older, who are residents of Missouri and of the political subdivision in which they vote are entitled to vote at all elections. Prohibited will be “ranked choice voting,” limiting voters to a single vote per candidate or issue. All elections shall be by paper ballot or by any mechanical method prescribed by law. The candidate who receives the greatest number of votes in a political party primary shall be the only candidate for that political party at the general election.
For full text see initiative petition filing 2024-038 online at: 2024 Initiative and Referendum Petitions Filed (mo.gov)