4143S.02C
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SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 31
JOINT RESOLUTION
Submitting to the qualified voters of Missouri, an
amendment repealing sections 50 and 51 of article III
of the Constitution of Missouri, and adopting two new
sections in lieu thereof relating to the initiative
petition process.
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring therein:
That at the next general election to be held in the
state of Missouri, on Tuesday next following the first Monday
in November, 2022, or at a special election to be called by
the governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to
the qualified voters of this state, for adoption or
rejection, the following amendment to article III of the
Constitution of the state of Missouri:
Section A. Sections 50 and 51, article III, Constitution
of Missouri, are repealed and two new sections adopted in lieu
thereof, to be known as sections 50 and 51, to read as follows:
Section 50. 1. Initiative petitions proposing
amendments to the constitution shall be signed by [eight]
fifteen percent of the legal voters , registered to vote in
the state of Missouri and citizens of the United States, in
each of [two-thirds of] the congressional districts in the
state, and petitions proposing laws shall be signed by five
percent of [such] the legal voters in each of two-thirds of
the congressional district s in the state. Every such
petition shall be filed with the secretary of state not less
than six months before the election and shall contain an
enacting clause and the full text of the measure. Petitions
for constitutional amendments shall not conta in more than
one amended and revised article of this constitution, or one
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new article which shall not contain more than one subject
and matters properly connected therewith, and the enacting
clause thereof shall be "Be it resolved by the people of the
state of Missouri that the Constitution be amended:".
Petitions for laws shall contain not more than one subject
which shall be expressed clearly in the title, and the
enacting clause thereof shall be "Be it enacted by the
people of the state of Miss ouri:". For purposes of this
article, only citizens of the United States who are
residents of the state of Missouri and who are properly
registered to vote in the state of Missouri shall be
considered legal voters.
2. Notwithstanding Section 2(b ) of Article XII of this
Constitution to the contrary, any initiative petition
proposing an amendment to the constitution shall take effect
at the end of thirty days after the election when approved
by at least two-thirds of the votes cast thereon.
3. Any initiative petition proposing laws shall take
effect when approved by at least a majority of the votes
cast thereon.
Section 51. The initiative shall not be used for the
appropriation of money other than of new revenues create d
and provided for thereby, or for any other purpose
prohibited by this constitution. [Except as provided in
this constitution, any measure proposed shall take effect
when approved by a majority of the votes cast thereon. ]
When conflicting measures are approved at the same election
the one receiving the largest affirmative vote shall prevail.
Section B. Under chapter 116, RSMo, and other
applicable constitutional provisions and laws of this state
allowing the general assembly to a dopt ballot language for
the submission of a joint resolution to the voters of this
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state, the official ballot title of the amendment proposed
in Section A shall be as follows:
"Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
● Only allow United States citizens to sign
initiative petitions;
● Increase the number of signatures needed to
qualify an initiative petition for the ballot;
and
● Require initiative petitions proposing
constitutional amendments to be approved by two -
thirds of the votes cast thereon?".