The Missouri Legislature passed Senate Bill 22, which allows politicians to rewrite ballot summary language up to three times, even after courts have ruled it unlawful.

It also lets the attorney general block measures led by citizens and allows politicians to collude on ballot language in order to obtain their preferred outcome on citizen-initiated and legislatively-referred ballot measures.

“This bill is meant to undermine the will and power of people and is a prime example of political overreach,” said Abby Herndon, a volunteer with Missouri Jobs with Justice. 

“When our elected officials don’t help or listen to their constituents, we the people still have a voice and power through the initiative petition process. But now the legislature is trying to rig the system against one of the oldest forms of direct democracy.”