Missouri Secretary of State Accused of Blocking Voter-Approved Amendment Despite Sufficient Signatures
Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is facing a lawsuit for allegedly blocking a proposed amendment, designated Amendment 6, from appearing on the ballot, despite admitting in court that it had gathered enough signatures to qualify. The amendment aims to protect citizen initiatives by enshrining the petition process as a fundamental right, requiring clear and unbiased ballot summaries, allowing courts to revise summaries, and prohibiting the legislature from weakening or altering ballot initiative powers without an 80% supermajority vote in both chambers. Respect Missouri Voters, the group behind the initiative, filed the lawsuit to compel Hoskins to place Amendment 6 on the ballot. Hoskins had previously declared the amendment unconstitutional, citing a violation of the state’s single-subject rule, a claim made after he had initially approved it for petition circulation. The group collected nearly 370,000 petitions, significantly exceeding the approximately 110,000 valid signatures required. 
