Appeals court reverses Clean Missouri decision, keeps Amendment 1 on ballot

A three-judge panel of the state’s appeals court will allow Amendment 1 to appear on the Nov. ballot, reversing a lower court decision.

The unanimous decision on Friday by the Western District Court of Appeals means voters will get a chance to decide on the package of constitutional changes, backed by the group Clean Missouri, aimed at regulating state government. Those include changes to the process of redrawing state legislative districts, campaign donation limits and a ban on lobbyist gifts.

Cole County Judge Daniel Green ruled on Sept. 14 that the petition was too broad, and affected too many branches of government.

The appeals court decision, written by Presiding Judge Alok Ahuja, said Amendment 1 did not violate Missouri’s “single-subject” provision for initiative petitions. The judges wrote that all six aspects of Amendment 1 dealt with “regulating the legislature to limit the influence of partisan or other special interests.”

The first ballots for the November election were sent Friday to overseas military personnel. Tuesday is the deadline for court-ordered placement of issues on the ballot and the beginning of absentee voting.