Did Missouri approve the summary statement for Jamie Howard's initiative petition 2026-015?

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 2026-015. The statement described protections for citizens' direct lawmaking power, an 80 percent House and Senate threshold for changing citizen initiatives, general-election voting unless the same threshold approved a special election, and an independent citizens' commission responsible for preparing fair and accurate 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 2026-015 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 initiative protections, election timing, and responsibility for ballot summaries. The opinion addressed the statement's wording, not the proposal's merits.

Missouri election officials

Opinion 33-2025 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 citizen initiatives?
A: Eighty percent of both the House and Senate.

Q: What would the independent citizens' commission do?
A: It would prepare every ballot summary and ensure each summary was clear, unbiased, fair, and accurate.

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

Background and statutory framework

The Missouri Secretary of State requested review on January 29, 2025. The attorney general reviewed the proposed summary statement for petition 2026-015 under § 116.334, RSMo and approved its legal content and form on February 11, 2025.

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/33-2025.pdf

Original opinion text

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
ANDREW BAILEY

February 11, 2025

OPINION LETTER NO. 33-2025

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 29, 2025 for our review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Jamie Howard, 2026-015. The proposed summary statement is as follows:

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:

• prohibit the legislature from weakening the citizens’ direct lawmaking power;

• prohibit the legislature from attempting to change any citizen-initiated law or citizen-initiated amendment, except in the event that eighty percent of the House and Senate approve the change;

• require that every ballot measure be decided at a general election, except in the event that eighty percent of the House and Senate approve a special election for the measure; and

• establish an independent citizens’ commission responsible for preparing every ballot summary and ensuring every ballot summary is clear, unbiased, fair, and accurate?

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-2025-033

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