What ballot summary did Missouri approve for petition 2026-134 on initiative and referendum rights?

Plain-English summary

Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway approved the legal content and form of the proposed ballot summary for Richard von Glahn's initiative petition 2026-134, an Article III amendment.

The approved summary said the proposal would make initiative and referendum a fundamental right, have approved measures take effect in 30 days, and restrict legislative changes for five years unless three-fourths of both chambers approved. The wording also said the proposal would increase influence over state law by people who were not required to be Missouri citizens or elected officials.

The Attorney General's review under § 116.334, RSMo was limited to legal content and form and did not endorse the proposal.

What this means for you

Initiative petition proponents

The proposed summary for petition 2026-134 passed the Attorney General's legal-content and form review. The opinion did not decide the proposal's merits.

Legislators

The approved wording described a five-year restriction on legislative changes unless three-fourths of both chambers approved them.

Voters and ballot-measure researchers

Opinion 320-2025 preserves the summary's treatment of initiative and referendum as fundamental rights, the 30-day effective date, and the stated change in influence over state law.

Common questions

Q: When would approved measures take effect?
A: In 30 days under the approved summary.

Q: How could the legislature change a measure during the first five years?
A: The summary said three-fourths of both chambers would have to approve the change.

Q: What did the summary say about influence over state law?
A: It said the proposal would increase influence by people not required to be Missouri citizens or elected officials.

Q: Did the Attorney General endorse the proposal?
A: No. The opinion approved only the summary's legal content and form.

Background and statutory framework

The Secretary of State requested review on October 3, 2025. The proposed summary concerned Richard von Glahn's petition 2026-134 to amend Article III of the Missouri Constitution.

The Attorney General issued Opinion 320-2025 on October 14, 2025 and approved the summary's legal content and form under § 116.334, RSMo.

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/320-2025.pdf

Original opinion text

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
CATHERINE L. HANAWAY

October 14, 2025

OPINION LETTER NO. 320-2025

Honorable Denny Hoskins, CPA
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 October 3, 2025, for our review under § 116.334, RSMo, of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Richard von Glahn (2026-134) regarding a proposed constitutional amendment to amend Article III of the Missouri Constitution. The proposed summary statement is as follows:

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to make initiative and referendum a fundamental right, have approved measures take effect in 30 days, restrict legislative changes for five years unless three-fourths of both chambers approve, and thereby increase the influence over state law by persons not required to be Missouri citizens or elected officials?

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,

CATHERINE L. HANAWAY
Missouri Attorney General

OP-2025-335

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