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NewsA bill that has passed the Missouri Senate and is awaiting House action would further skew the system against voters. SB22, also known as the “Let Politicians Lie Act,” allows for:
• Partisan politicians to rewrite ballot summary language up to three times, even after courts rule them unlawful and misleading.
• Expanding the attorney general’s ability to block citizen-led measures before they reach voters.
• Partisan politicians could write summaries designed to get their preferred outcome on ballot measures.
"SB22 is bad policy. It would leave ballot language solely in the hands of the legislature or Secretary of State which can over-politicize the process,” says LWVMO President Marilyn McLeod. “It would take away the oversight power of the courts to fix misleading ballot language and would create unnecessary or even impossible delays in getting an issue on the ballot. The voters should have accurate, and not misleading, information in order to cast their votes.” She testified against SB 22 in a House hearing this morning.
LWVMO is also opposed to HB575/551 which the House recently passed that would change the rules for citizen initiatives, restricting the format and who could circulate petitions.
The League believes that democratic government depends upon informed and active participation at all levels of government. The League further believes that governmental bodies must protect the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings, and making public records accessible. (LWVUS Impact on Issues 2024-2026, p 59)
League to which this content belongs:
Missouri
