Coalition Launching Initiative Petition To Reform Term Limits

Jefferson City— The Respect Voters coalition will move forward with gathering signatures to qualify for the 2024 ballot.

The measure will allow legislators to serve longer in their chosen chambers, up to 16 years overall, if they do not make it more difficult for citizens to use the initiative process. It would also protect the initiative process from future attacks by politicians.

“With polling at 79%, donors are excited to see the campaign move forward,” said Harry “Chip” Cooper, a lifelong Missouri resident who filed the petition. “Our team is ready to make our state more accountable to the people.”

The campaign garnered news across the state when Cooper successfully sued Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft for throwing out the petition. Ashcroft relented and wrote the following ballot title:

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:

limit each legislator to sixteen years’ overall service in the legislature, rather than eight years in the house plus eight years in the senate, and lower the limit to twelve years if voters’ direct legislative power is reduced relative to 2022;

prohibit the legislature from changing any voter-initiated law without a referendum at the general election or three-quarters’ consent in the house and senate, unless more than seven years have passed since voters approved the law; and

prohibit the legislature from proposing any measure reducing the voters’ direct legislative power?

State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings for this proposal.

According to a new poll, 78.6% of likely general election voters said they would vote “yes” on that ballot title, while 21.4% said they would vote “no.” The poll was a statewide multi-mode survey by Cygnal, widely considered the nation’s most accurate polling firm and used by numerous Missouri elected officials. It was sampled and weighted to be representative of likely 2024 general election voters.

How would you vote on the ballot measure?

Yes 71.9%

No 19.3%

Would not vote 8.8% Of those voting:

Yes 78.6%

No 21.4%