Missouri House OKs raising bar for constitutional amendments

By SUMMER BALLENTINE
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Republican-led Missouri House of Representatives is advancing a proposal to make it harder to amend the state constitution. House members voted along party lines Wednesday to give initial approval to the measure. The proposal would raise the bar for amending the constitution from a simple majority vote to at least 60%. If passed by lawmakers, the change would need voter approval. The amendment notably would not increase the number of voter signatures needed to put an amendment on the ballot. Republican lawmakers have been trying for years to raise the bar for constitutional amendments after voters passed several amendments favored by Democrats.