Missouri HJR 93: Requires all initiative petitions certified by the secretary of state to be heard in committee and debated on the house floor

Bill Text

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE JOINT
RESOLUTION NO. 93
102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE FALKNER.
3250H.01I DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk
JOINT RESOLUTION
SubmittingtothequalifiedvotersofMissourianamendmentrepealingSection2(b)ofArticle
XII of the Constitution of Missouri, and adopting one new section in lieu thereof
relating to initiative petitions.
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring therein:
That at the next general election to be held in the state of Missouri, on Tuesday next
2 following the first Monday in November, 2024, or at a special election to be called by the
3 governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to the qualified voters of this state, for
4 adoption or rejection, the following amendment to Article XII of the Constitution of the state
5 of Missouri:
Section A. Section 2(b), Article XII, Constitution of Missouri, is repealed and one
2 new section adopted in lieu thereof, to be known as Section 2(b), to read as follows:
Section 2(b). 1. All amendments proposed by the general assembly or by the
2 initiativeshallbesubmittedtotheelectorsfortheirapprovalorrejectionbyofficialballottitle
3 as may be provided by law, on a separate ballot without party designation, at the next general
4 election, or at a special election called by the governor prior thereto, at which he may submit
5 any of the amendments. No such proposed amendment shall contain more than one amended
6 and revised article of this constitution, or one new article which shall not contain more than
7 onesubject and mattersproperlyconnected therewith. If possible, eachproposed amendment
8 shall be published once a week for two consecutive weeks in two newspapers of different
9 political faith in each county, the last publication to be not more than thirty nor less than
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.

10 fifteen days next preceding the election. If there be but one newspaper in any county,
11 publication for four consecutive weeks shall be made. If the proponents of a proposed
12 amendment follow the process outlined in subsection 2 of this section and a majority of
13 thevotescastthereon[is]areinfavorofanyamendment,thesameshalltakeeffectattheend
14 of thirty days after the election. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article III, Section 52
15 (b) of this Constitution, if the proponents of a proposed amendment do not follow the
16 process outlined in subsection 2 of this section and fifty-five percent of the votes cast
17 thereon are in favor of any amendment, the same shall take effect at the end of thirty
18 daysaftertheelection. Morethanoneamendmentatthesameelectionshallbesosubmitted
19 as to enable the electors to vote on each amendment separately.
20 2. After being certified by the secretary of state, if submitted by the proponents,
21 an initiative petition shall be heard in a public hearing in a committee of each chamber
22 of the general assembly. The committee shall not amend the initiative petition or vote it
23 out of the committee but shall otherwise follow regular procedures for public hearings.
24 Following the public hearing in committee,the initiative petition shall be debated on the
25 floor of each chamber. Neither chamber shall amend the initiative petition nor hold a
26 vote on it but shall otherwise follow regular procedures for bills heard on the floor.
27 Following the floor debate, the speaker and the speaker pro tempore of the house of
28 representatives and the president and president pro tempore of the senate shall sign the
29 initiative petition to confirm the requirements of this subsection have been satisfied.
30 This process shall be completed independently in each chamber of the general assembly
31 and neither chamber shall require action of the other before completing the process.
32 TherequirementsofthissubsectionshallbecompletedbythethirdFridayafterthefirst
33 Monday in March in the next regular session of the house of representatives after
34 certification of an initiative petition by the secretary of state.
✔
HJR 93 2