JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Republican members of the House Committee on Elections and Elected Officials are calling on Gov. Parson to convene a special session of the legislature to address vital election reforms. Committee Chair Dan Shaul and his members submitted a letter to the governor noting the Senate has held up several important elections reforms including Voter ID, Initiative Petition Reform, and protection from mass mail-in voting and ballot harvesting.
The letter says, “The House Committee on Elections and Elected Officials worked diligently with our colleagues in the House to send several key pieces of election legislation to the Senate. Unfortunately, these important issues are being held up in the Senate. On behalf of our constituents across the state of Missouri, my colleagues and I ask you to call a special session upon adjournment of our current legislative session to address election priorities.”
Shaul, R-Imperial, said, “As Chairman of the House Committee on Elections and Elected Officials, I have made it a priority since day one to support legislation that continues to ensure Missouri’s elections remain fair, transparent and trustworthy. In hearing from hundreds of constituents across the state, it remains clear that Missourians continue to support common sense legislation to ensure the security of elections. Unfortunately Senate Leadership has held up these important issues.”
The letter from the committee notes that in the last presidential election the country “witnessed many discrepancies and issues with the election process in several states across this nation, which are a cause of great concern.” Shaul and the Republican members of his committee said they are incredibly confident in the way elections were conducted in Missouri, but remain committed to ensuring Missouri continues to be the gold standard for election security nationwide. Shaul said the committee’s goal is to “be proactive to ensure we don’t experience similar situations in the State of Missouri in future elections.”