Did Missouri approve the summary for a proposal on officeholding, legislative conflicts, initiative rules, and foreign campaign funds?

Plain-English summary

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey approved the legal content and form of the proposed summary statement for Damien Johnson's initiative petition 2026-029. The statement described restrictions on officeholding after certain weapons or violent sexual offenses, limits on legislators' activity while on trial in related criminal or civil matters, voter approval for initiative-process changes, signature collection by adults age 18 or older, and a ban on campaign funds from foreign governments or campaigns.

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

Missouri voters

The reviewed statement combined rules on candidate qualifications, legislative conflicts, initiative petitions, and campaign funding. The opinion addressed the statement's legal content and form, not the proposal's merits.

Initiative petition proponents

The summary statement for petition 2026-029 passed the attorney general's review under § 116.334, RSMo. The approval did not amount to endorsement of the proposal.

Election lawyers and ballot-measure researchers

Opinion 47-2025 records the summary-statement approval for a proposal covering several distinct election and officeholding subjects.

Common questions

Q: What officeholding restriction did the statement describe?
A: It described barring elected office for people found guilty of or pleading guilty to weapons offenses or certain violent sexual crimes.

Q: What initiative-process changes did the statement describe?
A: Voter approval for changes to the initiative process and signature collection by anyone age 18 or older, as a volunteer or paid under an agreement with an employer.

Q: What campaign-funding rule did the statement include?
A: A prohibition on campaign funds from foreign governments or campaigns.

Background and statutory framework

The Missouri Secretary of State requested review on March 26, 2025. The attorney general reviewed the proposed summary statement under § 116.334, RSMo and approved it on April 9, 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/47-2025.pdf

Original opinion text

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
ANDREW BAILEY

April 9, 2025

OPINION LETTER NO. 47-2025

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 March 26, 2025 for our review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Damien Johnson, 2026-029. The proposed summary statement is as follows:

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

•prohibit individuals from holding elected office if they have been found guilty of or pled guilty to weapons offenses or certain violent sexual crimes;

•prohibit legislators on trial for such crimes from introducing related legislation;

•prohibit legislators on trial for criminal or civil matters from introducing or voting on related bills;

•require voter approval for changes to the initiative process and allow anyone 18 years of age or older to collect signatures, either as volunteers or paid in any manner agreed with their employers; and

•prohibit campaign funds from foreign governments or campaigns?

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-2025-051

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