When a million Missourians adopt an initiative petition, why should our elected representatives be allowed to override the voice of the people? According to Howard Wright’s blog post, it’s because they can.
Wright describes how our elected representatives have acted to undermine legislation adopted through the initiative petition process provided for in the Missouri Constitution. In particular, Missouri’s puppy mill initiative adopted in 2008 was overturned by the General Assembly in 2009. After Missouri voters approved a minimum wage law in 2006 with a 76% majority, the Missouri House of Representatives attempted to repeal this law, though the bill died in the Senate.
A citizen group called “Your Vote Counts” is attempting to amend the Missouri Constitution to impose a requirement of a 75% vote of the General Assembly to override the voters. Wright suggests that the initiative procedure is a check against the power of dominant political parties, which could otherwise block the will of the vast majority of the voters.
Ozarks Law & Economy 