• Legislators listen more closely to constituents - if you are in their district, tell them
• Legislators are interested in personal stories about how the proposed legislation will affect you and your pocketbook - look at the summaries and talking points and think about how the bill will affect you and talk about that in your phone call, testimony or email
• Look at the whole list of Calls to Action and pick the most important to you - we will be responding for months to come - don't get overwhelmed in the first few weeks
  

Citizen Initiative Petitions

Bill #: SCS SJRs 47, 30, & 10

LWVMO OPPOSES this bill

Short Description: Would require passage of initiative petitions proposing a constitutional amendment upon the majority of vote of both a statewide majority and a majority of state House districts. Includes “ballot candy” which unnecessarily restricts foreign involvement.

Status of the Bill: Placed on the Senate Formal Perfection Calendar for Monday, May 12 at 8:00 AM.

Talking points:  

• Currently initiative petition measures must pass by a statewide majority which fairly reflects the will of ALL Missourians

• Requirements to have a constitutional amendment pass by both a statewide majority and a majority of state representative districts will create a rule by minority, undermining the will of all Missourians

• Requiring a two-condition threshold is unnecessary and cumbersome

• Article VIII, Section 23 of the Missouri Constitution already prohibits contributions from foreign sources; this bill contains unnecessary repetitive language

Link to the summary of the bill: SCS SJRs 47, 30, & 10

Call to action: Contact your Senator using the Legislative Lookup HERE and tell them you OPPOSE this bill.

LWV Position: The League believes responsible government should be responsive to the will of the people. (LWVUS Impact on Issues, 2024 - 2026, p. 11)

Reproductive Rights

Bill #: HJR 54

LWVMO OPPOSES this bill

Short Description:This revised version of HJR 54 does not overturn Amendment 3, but instead applies government interest in all reproductive health care to allow regulations reinstating TRAP (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) laws as well as other legislation.

Status of the Bill: Placed on the House Perfection Calendar for Monday, May 12 at 8 AM.

Talking points:  

• Missourians voted for an amendment in November, 2024 to allow abortion up to fetal viability

• Intrudes into a woman’s private and personal medical decision-making with her health care providers by declaring those decisions a “government interest”

• Imposes government rules on the people that will ultimately ban abortion, against the will of Missouri citizens  

Link to the summary of the bill: HJR 54

Call to action: Contact your Representative HERE and tell them you OPPOSE this bill.

LWV Position: The League believes that public policy in a pluralistic society must affirm the constitutional right to privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices. At the 2024 Convention, delegates passed a resolution reaffirming the League’s commitment to fight for reproductive rights and justice, including bodily autonomy, privacy, reproductive health, and access to contraception and abortion. (LWVUS  Impact on Issues 2024-2026,  pp. 64-68)

LGBTQ Rights

Bill #: SB 100

LWVMO OPPOSES this bill

Short Description: Prohibits amending a birth certificate of an individual where that person’s chooses to identify as a gender different than the birth certificate designation without surgery, and further prohibits the amendment of any certificate of birth related to the person’s gender if the gender of the individual was changed for reasons other than a medically-verifiable disorder.

Status of the Bill: Placed on the Senate Formal Perfection Calendar for Monday, May 12 at 8:00 AM.

Talking points:  

• A standard to determine who is transgender or not would be created even though not all trans adults desire undergoing surgery and no transgender minors have access to surgery 

• Would effectively ban transgender youth from accessing appropriate methods of healthcare to affirm who they are 

• According to the ACLU, this is also a breach of privacy; every time a person shows important documents, transgender people would be forced to out themselves

• Every time someone has to show an ID for employment, or to a store clerk, security guard, or TSA agent that fails to match that person’s gender,  they are at risk

• A birth certificate from another state could be changed leading to confusion for individuals born elsewhere but living in Missouri

Link to the summary of the bill: SB 100

Call to action: Contact your Senator using the Legislative Lookup HERE and tell them you OPPOSE this bill.

Links to further reading: PROMO

LWV Position: Secure equal rights and equal opportunity for all. Promote social and economic justice, and the health and safety of all Americans. (LWVUS Impact on Issues, 2024-2026, p.135)

To volunteer, join a committee, register for a special event, or view the Member Roster, please log in to your member account on our League website lwvkc.org: 

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