10-2025: INITIATIVES.INITIATIVE PETITIONS.

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
ANDREW BAILEY
Supreme Court Building
207 W. High Street
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3321
Fax: (573) 751-0774
www.ago.mo.gov
January 9, 2025
OPINION LETTER NO. 10-2025
The Honorable John R. Ashcroft
Missouri Secretary of State
James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center
600 West Main Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Dear Secretary Ashcroft:
This opinion letter responds to your request dated December 30, 2024, for our
review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the
petition submitted by Deirdre Hirner, 2026-007. The proposed summary statement is
as follows:
Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:
• 	allow county voters to set and control county taxes on tobacco cigarettes,
whether submitted to county voters by the county governing body or by
initiative petition; and
• 	use the county tobacco tax proceeds solely for education, health and mental
health, crime prevention, job creation, veterans' services, or other local use
specifically approved by voters?
Pursuant to § 116.334, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the
proposed statement. Because our review of the statement is mandated by statute, no
action that we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement
of the petition, nor as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its
proponents.
Very truly yours,
ANDREW BAILEY
Attorney General
OP-2025-010