FIVE BALLOT MEASURES MAKE SIGNATURE DEADLINE

Supporters of five initiative efforts cleared the first hurdle in getting on their proposals on the ballot when they submitted signed petitions to the Secretary of State’s Office by the May 5 deadline. The measures include three statutory changes – lifting the casino loss limit, requiring utilities to use more renewable energy and allowing home health care providers to unionize – and two separate proposed constitutional amendments to restrict the use of eminent domain.

Submitting signatures, however, is no guarantee the issues will make it on the November ballot. The Secretary of State’s Office first must verify that the petitions have sufficient numbers of valid signatures from registered voters. In 2006, only three of six submitted petitions had enough signatures to go before voters. The minimum number ranges from 86,000 to 95,000 for statutory change and 140,000 to 150,000 for a constitutional amendment. The verification process must be completed by Aug. 5.

HOUSE APPROVES PHOTO VOTER ID AMENDMENT

With only a few days remaining in the legislative session, the House of Representatives on May 8 endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to require voters to show a photo ID at their polling place as a condition of voting. The House approved the measure on a near party-line vote of 88-69 with all Democrats opposed and all but one Republican in support.

HJR 48 seeks to overturn a Missouri Supreme Court decision that declared a 2006 photo ID law unconstitutional. In that case the court ruled that since the Missouri Constitution guarantees voting rights to all Missouri residents who are age 18 or older, U.S. residents and registered to vote, the legislature is prohibited from imposing additional voting rights restrictions, such as photo ID, that aren’t constitutional authorized.

Because the measure must still go through a Senate committee and win approval of the full Senate, where Democrats are expected to filibuster, with just five days remaining in the legislative session, the chances of it winning final passage are uncertain. If the measure clears the legislature, it would automatically go on the statewide ballot in November unless Gov. Matt Blunt exercises his authority to set the vote for August.

U.S. SUPREME COURT RULES PHOTO ID LAW CONSTITUTIONAL

The U.S. Supreme Court on April 28 upheld an Indiana law that requiring voters to show government-issued photo identification at the polls in order to vote. Although the court says the U.S. Constitution doesn’t prohibit states from imposing photo ID requirements, the ruling will have little impact in Missouri, where the state Supreme Court struck down a similar 2006 voter ID law based on the Missouri Constitution.

The Missouri Supreme Court said the state constitution guarantees voting rights for all qualified registered voters and that the General Assembly may not impose additional requirements, such as photo ID, that aren’t constitutionally specified. Republicans have proposed a constitutional amendment to eliminate that hurdle to imposing voter photo ID, but the measure’s sponsor, state Rep. Stanley Cox, R-Sedalia, told The Associated Press he didn’t expect it to get through the legislature and on the ballot this year.

HOUSE PROPOSES AMENDMENT TO RESTRICT SPENDING

On an 84-65 vote, the House of Representatives on April 10 approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would severely restrict state spending. If also approved by the Senate, the measure would go before Missouri voters on the November ballot.

HJR 70 sponsored by House Budget Chairman Alan Icet, R-Wildwood, would limit annual growth in general revenue spending to the rate of inflation with a further adjustment for population increases. Supporters say the amendment is needed to further control state spending. Opponents counter that it would hamstring the ability of government to provide necessary state services. Colorado suspended a similar constitutional provision after it caused a state budget crisis.

STATE MINIMUM WAGE TO INCREASE TO $6.65 AN HOUR

Missouri’s standard minimum wage will increase to $6.65 an hour effective Jan. 1, 2008, according to the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. The state’s current minimum wage of $6.50 an hour took effect on Jan. 1, 2007, following voter approval of a ballot measure in November 2006 to boost the wage, which had been set at $5.15 an hour since 1997.

Proposition B, which voters passed with 76 percent support, also requires the wage to be adjusted annually for inflation starting in 2008. The pending 15-cent an hour increase in the wage is based on a 2.2 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index from July 2006 and July 2007.

OFFICIAL ENGLISH AMENDMENT HEADED FOR BALLOT

Missouri voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to require that only English can be used in official government proceedings. The proposal will appear on the statewide ballot in November 2008 unless the governor sets an earlier election date.

The proposed amendment, HJR 7, cleared the House of Representatives on May 18 by a vote of 127-29. The Senate approved it 25-7 earlier in the day after shutting down debate to force a vote.

CARNAHAN PREVAILS IN DISPUTE OVER VOTER ROLLS

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan made a “reasonable effort” to clear ineligible voters from election rolls and didn’t violate the National Voter Registration Act, a federal judge ruled on April 13. The U.S. Justice Department sued Carnahan in November 2005 claiming local election authorities failed to keep election rolls updated by removing the names of people who had moved or were otherwise ineligible.
U.S. District Court Judge Nanette Laughrey ruled the Justice Department failed to prove inaccurate voter lists resulted in fraud and that Carnahan had taken adequate steps to update the lists. “The Court declines to order the secretary of state to do things which she is already doing voluntarily,” Laughrey wrote in her decision.

Registering Voters

Currently we are debating HB845 which would send to those who apply for a fishing or hunting license a voter registration card. Amendments were offered that would have granted other applicants (like students who register to take classes at MO institutions of higher education) the same benefit. These amendments were ruled out of order and were not allowed to be debated on the floor. You have to start to wonder whether or not the goal is to get residents registered to vote or whether the goal is only to get a specific group of residents registered to vote.
Here's the link to the bill: http://www.house.mo.gov/bills071/bills/hb845.htm

VOTER ID

The sponsor of last year’s state law – later ruled unconstitutional -- to require voters to show government-issued photo identification at their polling place in order to cast a ballot is giving it another go. The latest voter ID bill by state Sen. Delbert Scott, R-Lowry City, is essentially the same as his previous attempt. As a result, it overcomes none of the constitutional problems the Missouri Supreme Court identified in throwing out the 2006 law last October in Weinschenk v. State of Missouri. Scott’s current bill is SB 596. For more information on the bill visit: http://www.senate.mo.gov/07info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=45625