At least 18 League members attended an outdoor rally on Saturday, Jan. 7. LWVSTL President Angie Dunlap shared why the League is so concerned about citizens believing disinformation and legislative attempts to gut Missouri's citizen initiative peition process. 

Dunlap said, "Last year Missouri legislators in Jeff City believing the disproven lies about voters cheating. Those MO politicians passed voter suppression law, HB1878 which makes it harder for some people to vote, and it criminalizes actions by organizations like the League of Women Voters who bring information to the public about voting. They made the penalty for helping someone learn about voting harsher than if a person wields a gun in a polling place. This makes no sense!"  

In supporting the citizen initiative petition process, Dunlap said: "When legislators fail time and time again to address the problems of citizens, Missouri voters are not helpless. The initiative petition allows voters to directly create solutions. The ballot initiative makes our state government tackle important issues and work for the people. Consider the past issues that the General Assembly failed to act on and voters felt compelled to do it: Medicaid expansion, medical marijuana, raising the minimum wage, protecting worker collective bargaining rights, legislature reforms in Clean Missouri. When lawmakers create more hurdles for initiatives to make it to the ballot - more signatures, more districts, and more money – or if they want to require a higher majority for those initiatives to become law, these efforts are contrary to the idea that voters have the most important role in our democracy. Gutting the initiative petition process squashes the voters’ ability to use direct democracy in our state. Do not let them silence our voices!"