Area legislators vote "yes" on initiative reform

Three Southeast Missouri GOP state House members voted "yes" with the 108-50 majority Thursday, Feb. 2, to make it more difficult to amend the state constitution.

In a party-line vote, Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed, the House raised the threshold from a simple majority to at least 60% to change the Missouri's charter, specifically referred to as "The Constitution of 1945".

Perryville's Rick Francis (District 145), John Voss of Cape Girardeau (District 147) and Jamie Burger of Benton (District 148) all voted affirmative on House Joint Resolution 43, authored by fellow Republican Mike Henderson of Bonne Terre, Missouri (District 117).

Two area lawmakers were recorded as absent with leave for the final HJR 43 tally: Barry Hovis of Whitewater (District 146) and Herman Morse of Dexter (District 151), whose newly realigned boundary following the 2020 Census takes in a section of southwest Cape Girardeau County (Allenville, Delta and part of Whitewater).

Voss, the newest member of the area delegation -- sworn in a month ago -- said he is in accord with Henderson's bill.

Rick Francis

Rick Francis

"I believe our constitution is a foundational document that guides our state. As such, I believe it should require more than a popular majority to amend and should be initiated by Missourians from all regions of our state, not just the urban core," said Voss, a former Cape Girardeau city councilman.

"(Henderson's bill) will not be the only initiative petition bill we'll look at this session," said Perryville's Francis, referring to legislation introduced by Rep. Ed Lewis of District 6, additionally requiring a majority of state House districts to vote by at least 50% plus one to OK a change in the state constitution.

"Constitutional amendments should not be passed with only 6 counties voting 'yes' and 108 voting 'no,' as was the case with Medicaid expansion," Francis said.

Burger, the House's assistant majority floor leader, lamented funding received from outside Missouri in support of previous constitutional amendments -- including Medicaid expansion and adult recreational marijuana -- both of which state voters approved.

"There's a lot of outside influence dollars coming into the state to try to change the way we think in Missouri," opined Burger. "(Amendment 3) added 37 pages to our constitution. There are so many flaws to the amendment. If it was legislation, we can always go back and fix it in a General Assembly session but once an initiative is enshrined in our state constitution, the only way to change it is to go before voters again with a new amendment. Our (state) constitution is a living document but should not be an ever-growing document."

Jamie Burger

Jamie Burger

Henderson's bill has been forwarded to the state Senate for action.