RELEASE: Missouri Legislature passes bill allowing politicians to lie to voters
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 14, 2025
Contact: Claire Cook-Callen, claire@progressmo.org
The Missouri Legislature today passed Senate Bill 22, a bold power grab that gives politicians ample opportunities to mislead and deceive voters at the ballot box. This legislation removes essential checks and balances in Missouri’s century-old initiative petition process and demonstrates the lengths to which Missouri politicians will go – including deceit and collusion – to achieve their goals regarding citizen-initiated and legislatively referred ballot measures.
“This bill is meant to undermine the will and power of people and is a prime example of political overreach,” said Abby Herndon, a volunteer with Missouri Jobs with Justice. “When our elected officials don’t help or listen to their constituents, we the people still have a voice and power through the initiative petition process. But now the legislature is trying to rig the system against one of the oldest forms of direct democracy.”
SB 22, also known as the “Let Politicians Lie Act,” allows for:
- Partisan politicians to rewrite ballot summary language up to three times, even after courts rule them unlawful and misleading.
- Expanding the attorney general’s ability to block citizen-led measures before they reach voters.
- Partisan politicians to collude on ballot language to get their preferred outcome on citizen-initiated and legislatively-referred ballot measures.
For over a century, Missourians have used the initiative petition process to raise wages, expand healthcare access, fund our state parks and hold politicians accountable. However, with SB 22 in place, the initiative petition process will be further skewed against voters making it harder for Missourians to pass citizen-led measures.
“The Missouri Legislature showed its intentions today,” said John Hickey, who served for 10 years as the Director of the Missouri Sierra Club. “Rather than listening to voters and our families, lawmakers are passing laws that make it harder for our voices to be heard. These politicians are stripping away our freedom to make decisions about policies that impact us and our families.”
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Progress MO is a multi-issue advocacy organization dedicated to amplifying progressive voices and driving meaningful policy change across Missouri. Using cutting-edge online organizing, strategic communications and rapid response media strategies, Progress MO challenges conservative propaganda and ensures diverse perspectives are heard.