LAWSUIT: PLAINTIFF IS AGAINST TERM LIMITS

Cape Girardeau resident Yvonne Ketcham said Thursday she agreed to be a plaintiff in a suit challenging the validity of term-limit petitions because she opposes term limits and believes there is a responsibility to see that the signatures were gathered in compliance with the law.

"We're filing this lawsuit not only because we oppose the amendments themselves, but also because we want to make sure a sufficient number of petition signatures were collected in a manner consistent with state law," explained Ketcham.

"Limiting terms is a lazy way of making change. If people don't like their legislators they should work for their opponents or run for office themselves."

Ketcham said on the surface, term limits sound like a good idea; however there are a lot of problems with the concept that voters need to consider if the proposition makes it on the ballot.

"If this goes on the ballot it at least has to be done right," said Ketcham.

The other plaintiff in the suit is Robert L. Jackson of St. Louis, treasurer of a group formed last spring known as Missourians For Responsible Government to oppose term limits.

Ketcham said she supports the organization and is also active in the League of Women Voters, which has had a position against term limits for several years.

Ketcham is a former state board member of the League of Women Voters and continues to be active in the Cape Girardeau County league. She is a charter member of the organization here.

Last week Secretary of State Roy Blunt certified the petitions for the Nov. 3 general election. The proposed constitutional amendment, if approved by voters, would prohibit voters from electing any person to serve more than eight years in the Missouri General Assembly.

A second proposal would limit people from serving more than eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives and two terms in the U.S. Senate. Before that would take effect, it would have to become part of the U.S. Constitution.

For the proposals to get on the ballot, proponents had to secure a certain number of signatures from registered voters in six of the state's nine congressional districts. The lawsuit, filed in Cole County Circuit Court, contends that there are problems with some of the signatures gathered in the 8th Congressional District.

Ketcham said the 8th District was used because there were only slightly more signatures gathered above the required number.

Rod Wright of St. Louis, a volunteer with Missourians for Responsible Government, explained there are a variety of problems being looked at with the petitions.

Wright said in the 8th District there were 16,256 signatures required to put the state term-limit question on the ballot and there were only 66 additional names certified by the secretary of state. For the congressional term limits, the same number was needed but only 16,966 signatures were certified.

Wright suggested that as the petition deadline approached there may have been some improper actions taken by supporters.

"There are a variety of problems we are looking at. We think a lot of this happened at the end of the process," said Wright. "The folks coordinating the petition drive brought in some hired guns to finish off the drive and some things occurred not consistent with state law."

For example, Wright said there are documented instances in St. Louis city and county where residents of California showed up to register to vote giving the same residence in St. Louis, circulated petitions, and then left the state.

Wright said at this point there is no evidence such activity occurred in the 8th District.

In the 8th District, Wright said some petitions were not notarized as required by state law, and there is some question whether those people who circulated some of the petitions were registered voters of the state as required by state law.

"One thing we are certain of is that there are names that are clearly forged in the 8th District. Those names will be easy to challenge and we are optimistic the court will agree with us on that," said Wright.

In some instances, Wright said the forgeries are just one spouse signing for another. But he said that is not legal under state law.

Wright said the issue will be heard in court soon. He said he anticipates that regardless of the circuit court ruling the matter will be appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court.

Wright said his group is not trying to shirk the will of the people who signed petitions wanting term limits on the ballot.

"We feel the idea of term limits is bad public policy, but we are not afraid of this going on the ballot. We look forward to taking our case to the people," said Wright.

"But the people who circulated petitions had the requirement to do it by the letter of the law, and the point of this lawsuit is to make sure that happened."