Missouri Senate OKs higher bar for constitutional changes

By SUMMER BALLENTINE
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Constitution would be harder to change under a proposal backed by state Senate Republicans. The GOP-led chamber voted 24-10 along party lines Thursday in favor of requiring approval from five of the state’s eight congressional districts or a 57% vote to amend the constitution. Voters would still need to approve the plan for a higher threshold if it’s approved by the Republican-led House, where legislators have endorsed a higher 60% threshold for amending the constitution. GOP lawmakers have been trying for years to make it harder to amend the constitution after voters approved Medicaid expansion and legal recreational marijuana for adults.