Things are starting to get a whole lot busier at the Capitol in this 2022 session. Governor Mike Parson gave his annual State of the State address last week reporting on Missouri’s very strong economy and a likely tax cut this year helping all Missourians. I think Governor Parson has been and is a strong leader for our state as well as a good and honorable man.
In the Budget Committee, we’ve started out slow but will be ramping up the appropriation process this week now that Chairman Cody Smith is back from leave due to a family illness, and we will be going strong over the next couple of months. By Missouri Constitution, the budget process starts in the House, then goes to the Senate, and then differences are worked out in conference, and finally, it goes to the Governor. By law, we are required to have a balanced state budget. At his State of the State joint session, the Governor announced several of his 2022-2023 budget priorities.
This week, I’ve scheduled a marathon COVID mandate hearing to be held in the House Judiciary Committee at 8:00 am Tuesday. We will be digging into 19 different but similar bills. Also at the request of the bill sponsor, I will be rescheduling a hearing on a bill written to close a loophole in Missouri that allows private eminent domain. Hopefully, we can finish that hearing Wednesday night. You can go to the Missouri House website and find specific hearing dates and times, and you can watch live all House hearings.
The Chair of the House Election and Elected Officials Committee has also granted me a second hearing on a resolution I wrote proposing a constitutional amendment on constitutional initiative petition reform which should be heard later this week.
Initiative petition reform is about making it harder for big money special interest groups from forever changing our Missouri Constitution. Since 1945, our Missouri Constitution has been amended approximately 126 times (that’s over 1.5 times per year). In stark contrast, our US Constitution has been amended only 17 times since 1791 when the Bill of Rights was ratified. Our founding fathers knew it is far more important to protect fundamental constitutional rights and constitutional limitations on government than it should be to change them. And overwhelmingly, the people in this part of the state have told me they agree.
But why is it so much easier to amend our Missouri Constitution? First, it only takes a 50% vote plus 1 to amend our constitution compared to a 2/3rds followed by 3/4ths vote to amend the US Constitution. And second, big money out-of-state special interests groups have learned they can buy our constitution using a tried and true formula.
In this formula, you just need a bunch of money. Using that money, the lobbyists first hire a team of specialists to create a simplistic but misleading message (sometimes called the “ballot candy”). Then, they write their own proposed amendment in such a complicated and confusing way that you have to hire a team of lawyers to figure it out. Next, they buy a team of signature collectors. These folks are more likely than not paid professionals getting paid extra for each signature collected and are usually not “grassroot” volunteers. Finally, the special interest groups just outspend any opposition by bombarding the airways with misleading TV and internet ads including mass, identical digital messages.
Obviously, the big money formula works. Our Missouri Constitution will soon be more than 8 times larger than our US Constitution in a much shorter time, and it’s still growing.
The resolution that I filed is identified as HJR 102 (House Joint Resolution 102). My proposal, if ultimately approved by the voters, would change the necessary vote to amend the supreme laws in our state (our Missouri Constitution) from 50% plus 1 to a 2/3rds vote. My intent in filing this bill is to better protect fundamental constitutional rights not allowing them to be easily sold away to the highest bidder.
Our founding fathers strongly agreed, believing that the limitations and rights contained in the constitution are so very important as to require much greater protection, but some disagree. It’s no secret that money buys influence. Although some like to describe this reform as a partisan issue (Republicans for reform versus Democrat against), I do not. Greed is a sin that can corrupt regardless of politics.
Even if finally approved and placed on the ballot, initiative petition reform will be a hard battle to win. Millions of special interest dollars will be spent in opposition, and only a very strong grassroots effort can overcome the influence of that much money.
I apologize for perhaps rambling on about this for so long, but this is so very important. People continue to fight and die to protect our rights. Our supreme laws deserve our strongest protection.
Please watch the House website for updates on bills and resolutions, and remember, you can offer your testimony and your opinion on-line through that same site.
It is my honor to represent your common sense values. If you would like to schedule a specific time to meet locally or at the Capitol, please call my office at 573-751-1455, or email my office at david.evans@house.mo.gov.
