help_outline Skip to main content
HomeEmailingsEmailings
Date: 1/28/2024
Subject: Weekly Legislative Action for January 28, 2024
From: LWVKC Legislative Action Team



Citizen Initiative Petition 

Bill #: HJR 76, HJR 86

LWVMO OPPOSES

Short Description: Makes the Initiative Petition process more difficult by adding a concurrent majority requirement.

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for a House hearing Tuesday, January 30 at 12:00 PM in the Elections and Elected Officials Committee. 

Talking points:  

  • The citizen initiative process provides a manner for direct participation and Missourians have been able to make their voices heard through this process since 1907

  • Voting should not give preference or more weight based on zip code or acreage; each vote counts equally regardless of where you live

  • Requiring a two-condition threshold creates a rule by minority, undermining the will of all Missourians

Link to the summary of the bill: HJR 76  HJR86

Call to action:

5 for Democracy: Submit Testimony:  HERE

You can submit testimonies for both bills via this link at the same time as there are separate submission forms for each bill).

30 Minute Matters: Write the committee members HERE

Links to further reading: HERE

LWV Position “The League of Women Voters believes responsible government should be responsive to the will of the people…“. See page 10, LWVUS, Impact on Issues.


Bill #: SJR 59, SJR 61, SJR 81, SJR 83

LWVMO OPPOSES

Short Description: Attempts to weaken Missouri's initiative petition process by adding a concurrent majority of the votes cast in a majority of the Missouri state house or senate districts. 

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for a Senate hearing Monday January 29 at 2 PM in the S Local Government and Elections Committee. 

Talking points:  

  • The citizen initiative process provides a manner for direct participation and Missourians have been able to make their voices heard through this process since 1907

  • Voting should not give preference or more weight based on zip code or acreage; each vote counts equally regardless of where you live

  • Requiring a two-condition threshold creates a rule by minority, undermining the will of all Missourians

Link to the summary of the bill: SJR 59 , SJR 61 , SJR 81, SJR 83

Call to action:

30 Minute Matters: Write the committee members: HERE

Links to further reading: HERE

LWV Position “The League of Women Voters believes responsible government should be responsive to the will of the people…“:See page 10, LWVUS, Impact on Issues


Bill #: SJR 48, SJR 49, SJR 51, SJR 74, SJR 77, SJR 79

LWVMO OPPOSES

Short Description:Weakens Missouri's Initiative Petition process by adding a concurrent majority of the votes cast in a majority of US Congressional districts requirement

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for a Senate hearing Monday January 29 at 2 PM in the S Local Government and Elections Committee. 

Talking points:  

  • The citizen initiative process provides a manner for direct participation and Missourians have been able to make their voices heard through this process since 1907

  • Voting should not give preference or more weight based on zip code or acreage; each vote counts equally regardless of where you live

  • Requiring a two-condition threshold creates a rule by minority, undermining the will of all Missourians

Link to the summary of the bill: SJR 48 , SJR 49 , SJR 51 , SJR 74, SJR 77, SJR 79 

Call to action:

30 Minute Matters: Write the committee members: HERE

Links to further reading: HERE

LWV Position: The League of Women Voters believes responsible government should be responsive to the will of the people…: See page 10, LWVUS, Impact on Issues


Bill #: SJR 73

LWVMO OPPOSES

Short Description: This bill would weaken Missouri's Initiative Petition process by ending majority rule by including a campaign finance based formula (based on the total percentage of campaign contributions received in support of the measure by sponsoring campaign committees and supporting campaign committees from in-state contributors and out-of-state contributors) effectively raising the required margin of votes to gain passage.

Status of the Bill:Scheduled for a Senate hearing Monday January 29 at 2:00 PM in the S Local Government and Elections Committee.

Talking points:  

  • The citizen initiative process provides a manner for direct participation and Missourians have been able to make their voices heard through this process since 1907

  • Requiring a two-condition threshold creates a rule by minority, undermining the will of all Missourians

Link to the summary of the bill: SJR 73

Call to action:

30 Minute Matters: Write the committee members: HERE

Links to further reading: HERE

LWV Position The League of Women Voters believes responsible government should be responsive to the will of the people… (Page 10, LWVUS, Impact on Issues)


Bill #: HJR 119

LWVMO OPPOSES

Short Description: Makes the Initiative Petition process more difficult by raising the hurdle from a majority of votes to 55% of votes.

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for a House hearing Tuesday, January 30 at 12:00 PM in the Elections and Elected Officials Committee. 

Talking points

  • The IP has worked for both conservative and liberal causes which shows that it is a valuable and valued part of our heritage and works for all Missourians of all different points of view

  • Missouri's constitution states that "all political power is vested in and derived from the people"; This is most clearly embodied in our over century old tradition of the citizen initiative process; raising the hurdle to 55% will make it harder for citizens to act directly

  • The citizen initiative process provides a manner for direct participation and Missourians have been able to make their voices heard through this process since 1907

Link to the summary of the bill:HJR 119

Call to action:

5 for Democracy: Submit Testimony: HERE

30 Minute Matters: Write the committee members HERE

Links to further reading: HERE

LWV Position “The League of Women Voters believes responsible government should be responsive to the will of the people…“. See page 10, LWVUS, Impact on Issues.


Reproductive Rights

Bill #:  HB1563

LWVMO OPPOSES

Short Description: Prohibits reimbursement to abortion facilities, or affiliates or associates of abortion facilities, under the "Uninsured Women's Health Program."

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for an executive session in the House Tuesday, January 30 at 2:00 PM in the General Laws Committee. 

 

Talking points:

  • Planned Parenthood does not provide abortions in Missouri but provides necessary healthcare such as contraception, std testing and treatment, and cancer screening

  • This bill would not allow Medicaid patients to get basic healthcare treatment at Planned Parenthood in Missouri

  • Patients with Medicaid will have no place to receive care because there are not enough other providers who accept Medicaid in Missouri

  • Consequently, this bill denies necessary healthcare to indigent people who count on Medicaid

Link to the summary of the bill: HB1563

Call to action

30 Minute Matters: Contact committee members: HERE

LWV Position: The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that a basic level of quality health care at an affordable cost should be available to all US residents.

 

Education 

Bill #: SB 1051

LWVMO For Information Only

Short Description: Establishes provisions allowing enrollment of nonresident students in public school districts and modifies provisions regarding transportation costs for certain school districts. Similar to SB 5 (2023).

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for a Senate hearing Tuesday January 30 at 8:00 AM in the Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children.

Link to summary of the bill: SB1051


Firearms 

Bills #:  SB 1437 and SB 1477

LWVMO SUPPORTS 

Short Description: Creates the offense of unlawful discharge of a firearm for discharging a firearm within or into the limits of a municipality with criminal negligence (includes Blair’s law).

Status of the Bill: Scheduled for an executive session in the Senate Monday, January 29 at 4:30 PM in the Special Committee on Urban Issues.

Talking points:

  • Missouri considered a “failed” state for lack of strong gun laws (Everytown) 

  • American children are twelve times more likely to be killed by a gun than children in other countries (Centers for Disease Control) 

  • We can all agree on keeping children safe

Link to the summary of the bill: HB 1437;  HB1477

Call to action:

30 Minute Matters: Write committee members HERE

Links to further reading: HERE

Ratings of all US states by Everytown on the strength of their gun safety laws compared to violent gun deaths.

LWV Position: Protect the health and safety of citizens through limiting the accessibility of guns. Regulate firearms for consumer safety. (LWVMO Guide to State Action, p10)

 
Please remember that you can always do more than we recommend in these Calls to Action. Ways you can help that go beyond Five for Democracy or Thirty Minute Matters include writing letters to the editor of your hometown newspaper, writing each member of the House or Senate to oppose or support your bill, writing a longer email to your Representative or Senator which includes a personal story regarding the proposed legislation, or going to Jefferson City to testify in person. Please contact the Legislative Action team if you would like help in taking one of these actions that go the extra step. You can reach us at legislativeaction@lwvkc.org. Thank you for your activism!

Would you rather listen to the weekly
Legislative Bulletin?
Check out the podcast,
LWV Missouri Legislative Update
available wherever you get your podcasts.
Democracy looks like the League of Women Voters

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

  • Click on "Member Login" in the upper right corner of the website lwvkc.org.  The "Login" page will appear.
  • Enter your User Name and Password.  If you are on a device you own, check the box "Remember me on this computer" so it will remember your User Name and Password for next time.  Click the "Login" button.
  • Or, if you forgot your Username or Password, click the "Forgot my Username / Password" button on the "Login" page. The "Forgot Username/Password" box will appear.
  • Enter your email address and first name and click the "OK" button.Your Username and a temporary Password will be emailed to you.Be sure to use the email address you provided to the League!
For complete member website instructions, click on the red Website FAQs button at the top of the home page and download a PDF.