AMERICANALMANAC (Alex Tanzer) - Missouri voters face what could become the nation's strictest barrier to citizen-led constitutional amendments
Missouri's Amendment 4 would force citizen-initiated constitutional changes to win majorities in all eight of the state's congressional districts, a standard no other state has ever imposed, and one that could reshape direct democracy nationwide. Republican state Rep. Ed Lewis, the measure's sponsor, placed the proposal before voters after years of watching progressive groups leverage […] The post Missouri voters face what could become the nation's strictest barrier to citizen-led constitutional amendments appeared first on American Almanac .
Missouri's Amendment 4 would force citizen-initiated constitutional changes to win majorities in all eight of the state's congressional districts, a standard no other state has ever imposed, and one that could reshape direct democracy nationwide. Republican state Rep. Ed Lewis, the measure's sponsor, placed the proposal before voters after years of watching progressive groups leverage lopsided turnout in St. Louis and Kansas City to push constitutional amendments across the finish line. Abortion rights, recreational marijuana, sports betting, and Medicaid expansion all reached the ballot through citizen petitions between 2020 and 2024, and all passed with 53 percent or less of the statewide vote, the Associated Press reported . Amendment…Open