Special Session or Political Theater? Why the Only Fair IP Reform May Be Ignored

Governor Mike Kehoe called lawmakers back to Jefferson City for a special session, saying it was time to redraw Missouri’s congressional map and reform the Initiative Petition (IP Reform) process. On paper, that sounds like a serious step toward protecting the Missouri Constitution.

But in practice, much of what’s happening looks more like political theater. The Governor asked for a very specific set of reforms, and legislators delivered — in the form of HJR 3. But will Rep. Wolfin’s HJR 4, the only resolution that applies reforms equally to both the people and the legislature, even get a fair hearing?

Grassroots Missourians have waited nearly a decade for real IP reform. Instead, what we’re getting is a show designed to look tough on ballot initiatives while leaving the politicians with special privileges.

HJR 1 (Representative Bishop Davidson) IP Reform Only a Democrat Could Love

Signatures: Requires initiative petitions proposing constitutional amendments to be signed by 7% of legal voters in two-thirds of congressional districts (Section 50).
Passage: Requires citizen-initiated constitutional amendments to be approved by a majority of all registered voters — not just those voting (Section 52(b)).
Legislative Amendments: Still pass with a simple majority of votes cast (Section 52(b)).

👉 Problem: This sets up a double standard. Citizens face an almost impossible bar, while politicians keep the easy path. With over 80% of all amendments since 1910 coming from the legislature, this isn’t reform — it’s theater.

HJR 2 (Representative Bishop Davidson) IP Reform Only a Democrat Could Love part 2

Signatures: Same as HJR 1 — 7% in two-thirds of congressional districts (Section 2(b)(2)).
Passage: Citizen-led amendments require a majority of registered voters (Section 2(b)(3)).
Legislative Amendments: Still need only a simple majority of votes cast (Section 2(b)(3)).

👉 Problem: Nearly identical to HJR 1, just placed in a different section of the Constitution. A rerun in the political playbook.

HJR 3 (Representative Ed Lewis) — “Protect Missouri Voters” Amendment The Govenor’s IP Reform

This resolution contains all the requirements Governor Kehoe laid out in his official call for the Special Session. It’s the script the Governor wanted followed.

Foreign Influence: Bans contributions from “foreign adversaries” (Section 54.2).
Fraud Penalties: Makes petition signature fraud a class A misdemeanor (Section 54.3).
Public Hearings: Requires the Secretary of State to hold hearings before petitions circulate (Section 54.4).
Concurrent Majority Ratification: Demands that constitutional amendments by initiative be approved by a majority in each congressional district (Section 54.5).
Ballot Transparency: Provides voters the full text of initiatives with their ballots (Section 54.6).

👉 Problem: While some of these reforms sound reasonable, the concurrent majority standard undermines citizen power by tying passage to congressional district lines. It’s a clever setup: maximize Republican seats in Congress, or protect the Missouri Constitution — but not both. That’s not protection. That’s theater.

HJR 4 (Representative Bryant Wolfin) IP Reform for the Citizens!

Equal Standards: Requires all constitutional amendments — whether from the legislature or the people — to be approved by a two-thirds supermajority of votes cast (Section 51 and Section 52(b)).
Statutory Measures: Still pass with a simple majority (Section 51 and Section 52(b)).

👉 Strength: This is the only bill that sets one clear standard for everyone. No tricks, no double standards. Just an honest safeguard for the Constitution.

But here’s the question: in a Special Session designed around the Governor’s call, will Wolfin’s resolution even get a fair hearing? Or will it be quietly buried while the scripted reforms move forward?

Act for Missouri’s Position

What’s playing out in Jefferson City looks less like serious reform and more like a stage show:

HJR 1 and HJR 2: Double standards dressed up as reform.
HJR 3: The Governor’s script — checks the boxes but weakens the grassroots.
HJR 4: The only real reform, applying the same standard to politicians and the people alike.

If lawmakers are serious about protecting Missouri’s Constitution, they need to prove it by giving HJR 4 a fair chance. Anything less is just political theater.

📌 Why HJR 4 Is Different

Most of the IP reform proposals (HJR 1, HJR 2, HJR 3) only raise the bar for citizen-led amendments, while letting the legislature keep an easier path. That’s the double standard.

But HJR 4 applies the same rule to both the legislature and the people. Here’s how:

Section 51 (Initiatives by the People)

“…constitutional amendments shall take effect when approved by two-thirds of the votes cast thereon.”

Section 52(b) (Measures Referred by the General Assembly)

“…constitutional amendments shall take effect when approved by two-thirds of the votes cast thereon, and not otherwise.”

👉 Plain English: Whether an amendment comes from citizens or from the legislature, it must pass with a two-thirds supermajority of votes cast.

That’s why Act for Missouri views HJR 4 as the only fair approach. It doesn’t let politicians carve out an easier path for themselves. It raises the bar — but it raises it equally.