Missouri’s registered voters are asked to consider a number of proposals at the polls Tuesday, Nov.8.
Among them is Missouri Constitutional Amendment 5, which if approved, creates a state Department of the National Guard.
If passed by voters, the amendment effectively removes the guard from the purview of the state’s Department of Public Safety and includes a cabinet position for the guard’s adjutant general.
Proponents say the measure does away with a layer of bureaucracy and offers the guard’s adjutant general direct access to the governor, especially important during times of crisis, Missouri National Guard Association Registered Lobbyist Jackie Wood said.
“You don’t want bureaucracy in the way of decision making in a crisis,” Wood said. “You want information to be reported and shared in as timely a fashion as possible.
“The Department of Public Safety oversees eight divisions,” Wood continued. “The guard reports to the department, then the department reports to the governor who is the guard’s commander-in-chief. If voters pass the amendment, the guard’s adjutant general will have direct access to the governor and vice-versa. Missourians could expect to see quicker response times during times of state emergencies since the information would no longer pass through the additional level of bureaucracy.”
The bipartisan proposal moved nearly unanimously through the statehouse, Wood emphasized.
“Only one democratic representative, Peter Merideth, and one republican representative, Lane Roberts, cast votes in opposition,” Wood explained. “It’s fair to say both democratic and republican sides saw the need for this legislation and came together to approve adding it to the ballot.
“So if voters pass the amendment, Missouri will join 48 other states that operate this way already.”
Wood said the amendment is needed since the guard’s mission has changed from state to federal actions.
The amendment includes an annual budget of $132,000 for the guard, with no additional tax levies for the public.
“The guard’s main mission is federal,” Wood said. “Most of its money is federal dollars matched by the state.
“The state also injects funds for stateside emergencies,” Wood continued.
In addition, Wood noted the amendment aligns the guard with the federal budget cycle rather than the state budget cycle.
“They operate from two different calendars,” Wood explained. “Sometimes the guard misses out on federal dollars simply because of the time disparity between the two fiscal cycles.
“This proposal, with voter approval, places the guard’s fiscal year on the federal cycle,” she added. “This alignment would be advantageous for the guard and just makes sense.”
Opponents argue the governor already has the power to avoid bureaucratic challenges in times of crisis and can contact the adjutant general at any time.
Also, opponents say the military is not in need of a seat at the table of civilian government and that the amendment could politicize a position that was expressly designed to remain apart from politics.
The Missouri Democratic Party opposes the measure and stated “ ...voting yes for Amendment 5 would create a chain-of-command issue throughout the Missouri National Guard ...”
In addition, the Missouri NAACP said the measure “fails to address long-lasting issues about the role of discrimination in state government, the fair utilization of state resources or even recent lawsuits filed to prohibit the silencing” of voters and working families.
“A no vote will protect your families from misdirection, misuse and mismanagement,” the NAACP stated.