HCSHJR19--MEASURESREFERREDTOTHEPEOPLE
SPONSOR: Black
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonElectionsandElectedOfficialsbyavoteof10to5.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstitutefor
HJR19.
Currently,amendmentstotheConstitutionandchangestostatute
thathavebeenplacedontheballotrequireapprovalfromasimple
majorityofthevotescastthereoninordertopass.
Uponvoterapproval,thisresolutionwouldrequireamendmentsto
theConstitutionandchangestostatutethathavebeenplacedon
theballottorequireapprovalfromasimplemajorityofthevotes
castthereon,aswellasamajorityofthevotesinamajorityof
StateSenatedistricts,inordertopass.
ThisresolutionissimilartoHJR132(2022).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythataconcurrenceofthepopularvote
andofgeographicalrepresentation oughttobeanecessary
requirementtochangetheConstitution. Thisisafoundational
principleoftheAmericansystemofgovernmentandistheprocess
forchangingtheFederalConstitution. Itistooeasyfordensely
populatedareastooutvoteothergeographicareasofthestateand
changetheConstitutionwithouttheirsupport.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Black;
OpportunitySolutionsProject;RonCalzone;WarrenCounty
RepublicanCommittee;MissouriFarmBureau;andAndrewJohnson.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatmajorityruleisthe
onlyfundamentallyfairmethodoflegitimizingchangestothe
Constitution. Asimplemajoritygiveseachvoteequalweight,
whileasystemthatrequiresaconcurrentmajorityofthepopular
voteandgeographicalrepresentation wouldunfairlygivecertain
votesmoreweightthanothers.Nootherstaterequiresa
concurrentmajoritytochangetheConstitution.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereProChoiceMissouri;
MissouriRealtors;RaymondL.James;Paraquad,Inc.;Denise Lieberman,MissouriVoterProtectionCoalition;MissouriNEA;ACLU
ofMissouri;VanessaWellbery,AdvocatesofPlannedParenthoodof
theSt.LouisRegion&SouthwestMissouri;DeniseLieberman,
MissouriVoterProtectionCoalition;MarcelHagens,ActionStLouis
PowerProject;MarilynMcLeod,LeagueofWomenVotersofMissouri;
andJobsWithJusticeVoterAction.
ThisbillissimilartoHJR132(2022).
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.