Springfield News-Leader
JEFFERSON CITY Missouri House Republicans are taking another shot at making it harder to change the state constitution.
A resolution passed on a party-line vote Thursday would ask voters to require future amendments to be approved by a two-thirds majority of voters to pass.
The current standard is a simple majority 50 percent plus one.
Sponsoring Rep. Mike Henderson, R-Bonne Terre, told colleagues in floor debate that his plan to raise the standard will ensure that changes to the state’s organizing document have a broad base of support from the people.
“What we’re doing,” he said, “is making sure that issues put into our constitution are things that should be in our constitution.”
By Austin Huguelet Springfield News-Leader s
JEFFERSON CITY Missouri House Republicans are taking another shot at making it harder to change the state constitution.
A resolution passed on a party-line vote Thursday would ask voters to require future amendments to be approved by a two-thirds majority of voters to pass.
The current standard is a simple majority 50 percent plus one.
Sponsoring Rep. Mike Henderson, R-Bonne Terre, told colleagues in floor debate that his plan to raise the standard will ensure that changes to the state’s organizing document have a broad base of support from the people.
“What we’re doing,” he said, “is making sure that issues put into our constitution are things that should be in our constitution.”
Springfield News-Leader
JEFFERSON CITY The presumptive favorite to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt next year says he won t be running.
In a statement Wednesday, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, said that after intense, prayerful consideration with his wife, he s staying put as the state s top elections official. Our hearts are in Missouri and we cherish the opportunity to continue raising our family here, he added. We hope those who pledged support to me will devote their efforts to electing the eventual Republican nominee.
Political observers have long seen a bright future for Ashcroft given the strong name recognition established by his father, John Ashcroft, a former Missouri governor and U.S. senator himself.