HB1749--INITIATIVEANDREFERENDUMPETITIONS
SPONSOR: Haffner
Thisbillrequiresinitiativeandreferendumpetitionsignature
pagestobeprintedonaformasprescribedbytheSecretaryof
State.Font,fontsize,marginwidth,andpagenumberingare
prescribedasspecifiedinthebill.Signaturepageformsshallbe
madeavailableinelectronicformat.
Nomeasurecirculatingbypetitionshallclaimtonullifyoramend
federallaw.
Thisbillrequiresthatpetitioncirculatorsbecitizensofthe
UnitedStates,residentsofMissouriorphysicallypresentin
Missouriforatleast30consecutivedayspriortothecollection
ofsignatures,andprohibitsthemfrombeingcompensatedbasedon
thenumberofsignaturescollected.
Thebillrequiresfinaladjudicationrelatingtoachallengeofthe
officialballottitleorfiscalnotetooccurbeforeeightweeks
beforethedateoftheelection.
Currently,statuteprovidesthattheSecretaryofStateand
AttorneyGeneralreviewinitiativeandreferendumpetitionsfor
sufficiencyastoformandapproveorrejectthemonthatbasis.
Thisbillchangesthistorequiretheseofficialstoreview
initiativeandreferendumpetitionsforcompliancewithSection
116.050RSMoandwithArticleIIIoftheMissouriConstitution.
Currently,anycitizenmaychallengetheofficialballottitleor
fiscalnoteforaconstitutional amendment,initiativepetition,or
referendummeasure. Thisbillchangesthistoonlyallowany
Missouriregisteredvotertomakesuchachallenge.
Thisbillrequiresinitiativeandreferendumpetitionsamplesheets
tobesubmittedtotheSecretaryofStatesixmonthspriortothe
nextgeneralelection.
Ifacourtordersachangethatsubstantiallyaltersthecontentof
theofficialballottitleofaninitiativeorreferendumpetition,
allsignaturesgatheredbeforesuchchangeoccurredshallbe
invalidated.
ThisbillrepealstherequirementthattheJointCommitteeon
LegislativeResearchholdahearingtotakepubliccommentona
proposedmeasurewithin30daysoftheSecretaryofStateissuing
certificationthatthepetitioncontainsasufficientnumberof
validsignatures. ThisbillissimilartoHB703(2023).