Initiatives
two weeks after local election authorities have verified the results, whichever date is later.
As the August primary election is to take place Aug. 6, and the primary ballot must be certified by May 28, none of these petitions will be processed in time to appear on that ballot. However any constitutional changes approved by the Missouri legislature, such as an effort to raise the threshold to pass initiative petitions, could theoretically be placed on the August ballot, if Gov. Mike Parson decides to do so.
As for the four ballot initiatives awaiting signature verification, there are two options for when they could be voted on, although one is far more likely than the other. First, any ballot initiatives that collected enough verified signatures could be voted on in the Nov. 5 general election.
Second, the governor could decide to call a special election for any one or more of the eligible petitions. While this is within the bounds of the governor’s authority to do so, Chaney feels this most likely won’t be the option Parson chooses to take.
“That’s probably a very unlikely scenario, unless under special circumstances, because that would cost the state about $11 million,” Chaney said.
Petition to raise the minimum wage
On May 2, Missourians for Health Families and Fair Wages submitted more than 210,000 signatures in support of their ballot initiative that would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and allow workers to earn up to 7 paid sick days per year.
This is a statutory amendment, meaning that it needs to collect about 115,000 signatures from six of the state’s eight congressional districts, equal to 5% of voters who participated in the last gubernatorial election.
“I work hard each day but don’t have access to sick leave and I don’t make a wage that enables me to make ends meet,” Alejandro Gallardo, a worker in Columbia, Missouri, said in a release. “I’m proud of my work — I just want to be able to work with dignity. I collected signatures for this petition to create change for myself and others like me.”
Minimum wage in Missouri is currently $12.30 per hour, so if passed, this would increase it to $13.75 effective Jan. 1, 2025 and $15 as of Jan. 1, 2026, with additional cost of living increases based on changes in the Consumer Price Index effective each January beginning in 2027.
As for the sick leave, which would be eligible for use due to personal or family illness, workers in the state would be eligible to earn one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours that they work. Employees of small businesses, those with fewer than 15 employees, could earn up to 5 sick days a year. Workers at businesses with more than 15 employees would be able to accrue up to 7 days per year.
Laurie Knowlton, owner of Pickwick Underground Framing in Springfield and a member of Missouri Business for a Healthy Economy, said in a release, “When you take care of your employees, they stay longer and take good care of your customers. That’s the key to sustaining a successful small business like we have for more than 20 years. When businesses don’t pay enough to retain employees, they waste time and money on hiring and training new employees.”
Governmental entities, political subdivisions, school districts and education institutions would be exempt from the rules instituted by the petition. While the impact on state and local government tax revenue is unclear, the petition estimates that state governmental entities could face one-time costs ranging from $0 to $53,000, and ongoing costs ranging from $0 to at least $256,000 per year by 2027.
Advocates seek to legalize abortion, protect reproductive rights
On May 3, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom submitted more than 380,000 signatures for their petition to allow women to receive abortions in the state, while also safeguarding other reproductive freedoms.
The group needs more than 171,000 verified signatures from six of the state’s eight congressional districts. Because it is a constitutional amendment, the threshold for signature collection is higher, meaning that it requires 8% of voters who participated in the last gubernatorial election from any six congressional districts.
“Despite every effort to deny Missourians their fundamental rights, this campaign has been our opportunity to put power back into the hands of the people — and in less than three months, Missourians have shown their power,” said Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, and spokesperson for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, in a release.
The petition guarantees the right to reproductive care, which encompasses abortion, birth control, prenatal, childbirth, postpartum and miscarriage care, as well as respectful birthing conditions.
In addition, it allows for government regulation of abortion after fetal viability, which refers to the point at which a fetus could survive outside the womb without extraordinary medical intervention. It would also allow regulation if those rules would improve the health of the patient without infringing on their autonomy.
“Hundreds of thousands of Missourians are now having conversations about abortion and reproductive freedom; some are sharing their own abortion stories for the very first time; and all are ready to do whatever it takes to win at the ballot box this year,” Schwarz said. “Together, we are going to end Missouri’s abortion ban.”
Petitions seek to expand gambling options in the state
Winning for Missouri Education, a committee formed by a coalition of professional sports teams to legalize sports betting, submitted about 340,000 signatures. As a constitutional amendment, it needs at least 171,000 verified signatures to gain ballot access.
A SLU/YouGov survey from February asked respondents if betting on professional sports matches should be legal, and 60% of respondents affirmed their support for legalizing it, with 25% disagreeing and 14% not sure.
The petition is backed by the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis CITY SC and Kansas City Current. The teams took matters into their own hands this year after legislators have consistently failed to pass sports betting in the Missouri General Assembly.
A committee representing the Osage River Gaming and Convention submitted more than 320,000 signatures in its efforts to construct a new casino boat at the Lake of the Ozarks. This constitutional amendment also requires at least 171,000 verified signatures from six of the state’s eight congressional districts.
The current state constitution only allows for 13 casino boats, which can also be non-floating structures, to operate within Missouri. As all of the state’s existing casinos operate on or within 1,000 feet of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, this proposal seeks to build a 14th casino on a portion of the Osage River.
If passed, the proceeds from the gambling tax on either of these proposals would go to fund education and literacy programs in the state.