RELEASE: Missouri lawmakers seek to rig the system, deceive voters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Contact: Abbey Schoenrade, abbey@progressmo.org

JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri lawmakers held a hearing Tuesday, April 1, on Senate Bill 22, a bill that doubles as a bold power grab and gives politicians ample opportunities to mislead and deceive voters. If passed, this legislation would remove critical checks and balances from Missouri’s ballot initiative process, making it harder for Missourians to pass citizen-led measures and further skewing the system against voters.

SB22, 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.

“I always taught my kids and grandkids from a very young age that it is important to do what you said you would do,” said Debi Pratt, a St. Louis City resident, mother of 3, grandmother of 4 and volunteer with Missouri Jobs With Justice and Sierra Club. “Missouri values our initiative petition process and the freedom for voters to be a part of governing. But that means that we have to keep our word to Missourians and do what they are asking us to do.”

For over a century, Missourians have used the initiative petition process to raise wages, expand healthcare access, and hold politicians accountable. “Rather than honoring the will of the people, lawmakers are attempting to stifle voters and centralize power in Jefferson City,” said Denise Lieberman, Director & General Counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition. “Politicians in Jefferson City want to rig the system in their favor, stripping away the checks and balances on a right that has allowed us to shape Missouri laws for generations.”

Under current law, voters can challenge deceptive ballot language in court and the court can correct illegal and biased language. SB22 would prevent courts from remedying deceptive language and stacks the process in favor of partisan politicians.

“SB22 is bad policy. It would leave ballot language solely in the hands of the legislature or secretary of state which can over-politicize the process,” said Marilyn McLeod, President of the League of Women Voters of Missouri. “It would take away the oversight power of the courts to fix misleading ballot language and would create unnecessary or even impossible delays in getting an issue on the ballot. The voters should have accurate, and not misleading, information in order to cast their votes.”

Missourians concerned about protecting their right to direct democracy are encouraged to contact their state representative and speak out against this dangerous bill.