‘Respect Missouri Voters’ rallies in Jefferson City days after Hoskins rejected ballot initiative

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Respect Missouri Voters held a rally on Friday at the Missouri Secretary of State Office this afternoon.

The rally comes after Secretary of State Denny Hoskins decided on Tuesday to reject the group's proposed constitutional amendment from appearing on the November ballot. The group filed a lawsuit on Thursday in an attempt to get it on the ballot.

The proposed amendment is designed to protect voter-approved ballot initiatives by making it much harder for Missouri lawmakers to alter or repeal them without approval from voters.

Co-founder of Respect Missouri Voters Benjamin Singer said Friday was about bringing everyone together to stand up to Missouri lawmakers.

"We are here today as Republicans, Democrats and independents saying that the 367,000 Missourians who signed the 'Respect Missouri Voters' petition deserve to have their voices heard and have it placed onto the November ballot," he said.

Singer said the amendment is only one page and seeks to do a few things.

"First, requiring ballot language to be clear so that voters understand exactly what they are voting for; secondly, it makes it harder for politicians to change or undo things after we have voted on them," he said.

Singer added he is confident that the amendment will pass, if it's put on the ballot. .

"We fully expect that the Respect Missouri Voters amendment will go on the November ballot. And ultimately, the people of Missouri will be heard just like they were heard at this past election," he said.

Hoskins argued that the amendment violated constitutional requirements limiting petitions to a single subject and changes to a single article.

Chuck Hatfield, the attorney representing the group in the lawsuit, said that the decision to sue was easy.

"Every citizen has the right to challenge the Secretary of State's decision on certification of initiative petitions. And so we represent three citizens who have done that. They think the Secretary of State was wrong to keep this measure off the ballot for constitutional reasons," he said.

Hoskins argues that the amendment violated constitutional requirements limiting petitions to a single subject and changes to a single article.

Essentially, the amendment has too broad a scope, and it can not be confined to the single subject of "initiative petition."

On Sept. 8, the state has to certify its ballot for the November election. With the lawsuit still in the courts Hatfield said he is not worried they will miss the deadline.

"We have had that happen, and the courts made decisions even in early September about whether it would be on the ballot. So I think we've got enough time. I think the courts are used to it, and they'll move quickly," he said. "His job is to count the signatures. And then if there are enough signatures, put it on the ballot. If there are enough signatures, you don't put it on the ballot.

Hatfield said he is confident that the group will win in the courts.

There have been dozens of cases where the courts have looked at the single subject issue, and they always err toward putting things on the ballot, and they're going to here," he said.

More than 50 people traveled to Jefferson City on Friday for the event.

One of the demonstrators was Judy McNiece.

“Well, in my opinion, I believe it's sour grapes. When he found out that Amendment Four failed, suddenly they decided that our amendment can't be on the ballot. What does that tell you?," McNiece said.

ABC 17 reached out to the Secretary of State's office on Friday afternoon.