Missouri Senate OKs time limit for challenges to ballots

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Legislature is close to sending Gov. Jay Nixon a measure that would move up the deadline for deciding court challenges to ballot measures.

The Senate voted 29-5 Wednesday for a bill requiring legal challenges to be resolved two months before an election, instead of the current six weeks. The measure still needs final House approval to go to Nixon.

The legislation comes after a court-ordered change last year cost the state nearly $860,000 to reprint ballots.

Supporters say the bill could avoid future costs by ensuring that any court-ordered changes occur before ballots are printed.

But Democratic Sen. Jill Schupp, of Creve Coeur, says it's not clear there would be enough time for courts to decide whether a ballot question was misleading before the election.