Did Missouri approve the summary statement for Jamie Howard's initiative petition 2026-011?

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 2026-011. The statement described limits on legislative changes to initiative-petition laws, general-election voting for ballot measures unless an 80 percent legislative supermajority called a special election, and an independent 13-member citizens' commission with exclusive authority over ballot summaries.

The review was limited to the summary statement under § 116.334, RSMo. The opinion did not endorse the petition or express a view about its objectives.

What this means for you

Initiative petition proponents

The summary statement for petition 2026-011 passed the attorney general's legal-content-and-form review. The opinion did not decide whether the proposal itself should be adopted.

Missouri voters

The reviewed statement described changes to the initiative process, election timing, and responsibility for ballot summaries. The opinion addressed the statement's wording, not the proposal's merits.

Missouri election officials

Opinion 23-2025 completed the attorney general's summary-statement review under § 116.334, RSMo and expressly disclaimed endorsement.

Common questions

Q: What vote threshold did the statement describe for changing initiative-petition laws?
A: Eighty percent of both the House and Senate.

Q: What commission did the proposal describe?
A: An independent commission of 13 Missouri residents and registered voters with exclusive authority to consider and adopt ballot summaries.

Q: When would ballot measures be decided?
A: At a general election, unless eighty percent of both legislative chambers approved calling a special election.

Background and statutory framework

The Missouri Secretary of State requested review on January 15, 2025. The attorney general reviewed the proposed summary statement for petition 2026-011 under § 116.334, RSMo and approved its legal content and form on January 27, 2025.

The statement described the proposal as protecting citizens' direct lawmaking power while transferring ballot-summary authority to an independent citizens' commission.

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/23-2025.pdf

Original opinion text

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
ANDREW BAILEY

January 27, 2025

OPINION LETTER NO. 23-2025

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 January 15, 2025 for our review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Jamie Howard, 2026-011. The proposed summary statement is as follows:

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:

• prohibit the legislature from making changes in initiative petition laws that weaken citizens' direct lawmaking power, except if eighty percent of the House and Senate approve the change;

• provide that every ballot measure shall be decided at a general election, except if eighty percent of the House and Senate approve calling a special election; and

• establish an independent citizens' commission of thirteen members, who are residents and registered voters of Missouri, to have exclusive authority to consider and adopt ballot summaries for all ballot measures?

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-2025-023

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