54-2025: 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
May 12, 2025
OPINION LETTER NO. 54-2025
The Honorable Denny Hoskins
Missouri Secretary of State
James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center
600 West Main Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Dear Secretary Hoskins:
This opinion letter responds to your request dated May 2, 2025 for our review
under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition
submitted by Jamie Howard, 2026-036. The proposed summary statement is as follows:
Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:
• prohibit laws or amendments that would make it harder to propose or pass
initiatives or reject laws by referendum;
• invalidate any such laws or amendments made after December 31, 2024;
• require 80% majorities of the House and Senate to change citizen-initiated laws
or re-pass rejected laws;
• require 80% majorities to call statewide ballot measure elections outside the
general election day;
• allow courts to rewrite misleading ballot language if challenged;
• maintain current signature requirements for initiatives and referendums; and
• define "statewide ballot measures" to include those proposed by the legislature
or citizens?
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-2025-060