Did Missouri approve ballot wording requiring 80% legislative referral before changing citizen initiatives?

Plain-English summary

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey approved the legal content and form of the proposed summary statement for Jamie Howard's initiative petition 2026-057. The statement described prohibiting legislative repeal or change of citizen initiatives unless 80% of legislators referred the changes to voters, and requiring ballot measures to appear at general elections unless 80% of legislators and the governor approved a special election.

The statement also described preventing legislatively proposed amendments from limiting initiative powers, requiring courts to rewrite misleading ballot titles immediately for clarity and impartiality, and confirming that a simple statewide majority would pass citizen initiatives. The opinion did not endorse the petition.

What this means for you

Missouri voters and initiative proponents

The reviewed statement described voter referral for legislative changes and a simple statewide majority as sufficient to pass citizen initiatives.

State legislators and election officials

The statement described 80% legislative thresholds for referring changes and approving special-election placement with the governor.

Courts and election lawyers

The statement described requiring courts to rewrite misleading ballot titles immediately to ensure clarity and impartiality.

Common questions

Q: What threshold did the statement set for legislative changes?
A: It described requiring 80% of legislators to refer changes to voters.

Q: When would ballot measures be decided?
A: At general elections unless 80% of legislators and the governor approved a special election.

Q: What did the statement say about misleading ballot titles?
A: It described requiring courts to rewrite them immediately for clarity and impartiality.

Q: What vote would pass a citizen initiative?
A: A simple majority of statewide votes.

Background and statutory framework

The Missouri Secretary of State requested review on July 2, 2025. The attorney general reviewed the proposed summary statement under § 116.334, RSMo and approved it on July 11, 2025.

The proposal was identified as Jamie Howard's petition 2026-057. The opinion reproduced the statement's five provisions concerning legislative changes, election timing, initiative powers, ballot titles, and majority voting.

Citations and references

Statute: § 116.334, RSMo.

Source

• Landing page: https://ago.mo.gov/other-resources/ag-opinions/
• Original PDF: https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/118-2025.pdf

Original opinion text

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
ANDREW BAILEY

July 11, 2025

OPINION LETTER NO. 118-2025

The Honorable Denny Hoskins
Missouri Secretary of State
James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center
600 West Main Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Dear Secretary Hoskins:

This opinion letter responds to your request dated July 2, 2025 for our review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Jamie Howard, 2026-057. The proposed summary statement is as follows:

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

• Prohibit the legislature from repealing or changing citizen initiatives unless 80% of legislators refer changes to voters;

• Require all ballot measures to appear on general election ballots, unless 80% of legislators and the governor approve a special election;

• Prevent legislatively proposed amendments from limiting citizen initiative powers;

• Require courts to immediately rewrite misleading ballot titles to ensure clarity and impartiality; and

• Confirm that a simple majority of statewide votes is sufficient to pass citizen initiatives?

Pursuant to § 116.334, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the proposed statement. Because our review of the statement is mandated by statute, no action that we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement of the petition, nor as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its proponents.

Very truly yours,

ANDREW BAILEY
Attorney General

OP-2025-130

Supreme Court Building
207 W. High Street
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3321
Fax: (573) 751-0774
www.ago.mo.gov