Missouri Voters Proudly Raise Middle Finger to State Legislature

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Ballot initiatives, particularly in my state of Missouri, are generally described on the ballot in such a way as to intentionally leave voters confused as to what the proposed measures would actually do.  Missouri's secretary of state, Denny Hoskins, a Republican, is a master at the art of ballot deception.  Hoskins has been taken to court over his description and phrasing of ballot descriptions multiple times.   A report in the "Missouri Independent" by Jason Hanock in June of this year had this to say:

"As Missouri secretary of state, Denny Hoskins is often responsible for reducing complicated ballot measures to a few sentences voters can understand.

"In his first year and a half in office, judges have repeatedly found those sentences unfair, insufficient, or misleading.

"Courts have rejected or rewritten Hoskins descriptions five times on measures involving abortion, redistricting, public education, private school funding, and the initiative-petition process itself.

"But the pattern extends beyond the secretary of state's office.

"During that time judges have also rewritten ballot summaries drafted by Republican lawmakers three times for proposed constitutional amendments dealing with abortion, changing how citizen initiatives pass, and phasing out the income tax."

If elected politicians, at least in Missouri, want voters to make major changes in how they are governed, their "go to" position on educating the voters is not to clearly explain the issue and what the new rules would do, but rather to obfuscate or "baffle 'em with bullshit."  So Missouri courts have had to step in again, and again, and again to force ballot measures to be explained in clear, concise, and simple English - in a manner we all can understand.

In Missouri, Republicans control all of the statewide offices and have veto-proof majorities in both houses of the state legislature.  We are a "ruby red" state, but that still does not mean that what comes out of our state legislature is necessarily something voters actually want.  The Missouri state legislature takes care of itself and concentrates its own power first with little regard for what the people who elected them to office want or need.

When it comes to ballot initiatives and changes to our state constitution, I generally start with the assumption that if it originated in the state legislateure, it will be something that makes life better for legislators and their friends and funders, and not necessarily for the people they were elected to represent and serve.   That premise was born out earlier this week in Missouri's primary election in which voters resoundingly defeated two constitutional amendments that were put forth by members of our self-serving state legislature.   

Voters said "not no" on Amendments 4 and 5, but "hell no!"

Amendment 4, which was drafted and approved by our Republican state legislature, would have changed the way in which Missouri voters could petition and then vote to amend the state's constitution.  Voters currently get measures to change the constitution to the ballot through a petition process, and then the proposed amendments are put to a statewide vote which requires one vote over fifty percent for passage.  The new amendment would have required each of Missouri eight congressional districts to pass the measure with majority votes before it could become part of our constitution - something that would never happen in a state as diverse as Missouri.

Amendment 4 was drafted by the Missouri legislature in a flagrant attempt to prevent Missouri voters from being able to directly initiate and pass new laws or constitutional amendments, meaning we would all have to bow down to the "wisdom" of our state representatives and senators - and the lobbyists who control them.  

Amendment 4 went down in flames with 80% of voters opposed and only 20% in favor.  Missouri politicians either seriously misread the will of the people, or they intentionally tried to mislead citizens into voting for a measure that would have seriously weakened their political power and ability to have direct input into their own governance - or both.

The same thing happened with Amendment 5, a measure that would have gradually eliminated property taxes in the state and replaced them with escalating sales taxes - a move that would shift the burden of public taxation more squarely onto the backs of the middle class and working poor.  Missouri voters saw through this sham to once again lower taxes on the rich - and voted the measure down 83% to 17%!

It doesn't get much clearer than that.  Members of the Missouri state legislature and our state offices holders have been put on notice that the voting public is awake, alert, and doing their homework - and the days of our leaders baffling us with bullshit are over!

The people of Missouri have spoken!