Voters group urges citizens to protect state right to amend constitution

In the aftermath of Missouri voters adding several amendments to the state constitution last year, most controversially the enshrinement of abortion, the state legislature has been hard at work finding ways to blunt the impact or overturn the measures entirely. The Respect Missouri Voters Coalition, however, sees the response differently. In an informational meeting at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library Tuesday evening, representatives of the group felt the state’s representatives and senators are attempting to overwrite the people’s will.

RMVC volunteer Kris Savage drew attention to the right to petition in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution though only 26 states have the mechanism of citizen initiatives to change the law or amend the constitution. The coalition is seeking volunteers to collect signatures to place a measure on the ballot in the 2026 election to protect the system of petitions.

“We can lock in a fairer people’s process,” Savage affirmed.

The event was attended by a cross-section of local Democrats, organization representatives, and activists.

“I’m tired of them overturning,” Stoddard County Democrat Chair Lynda Stewart expressed.

Noah Burns, chair of the Missouri Democratic 25th Senatorial District, described frustration at how the legislature can gloss over citizen initiatives.

“I’ve been an activist a long time,” Burns added.

Kevin Ellis, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2338, emphasized the importance of protecting the will of the people. President of the Poplar Bluff chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Michele Webb noted a rapidly evolving political landscape.

“To me, we’ve seen words like diversity, equity, and inclusion become divisive,” she said.

In response to this shift, Webb hoped protecting the citizen initiative would ensure a more stable system.

“It’s the people’s voice totally,” Savage described the petitions.

Community organizer Latrell Stanton expressed discouragement when the hard work of petitioning and gathering signatures gets defeated in the legislature. He noted his participation in getting signatures for the amendments on the ballot last year.

“We put a lot of sweat equity into this,” Stanton shared. “We put in real effort.”

Under state law, the coalition needs to gather 300,000 signatures across at least six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts to get their initiative on the ballot. The wording of the measure is not finalized, but the coalition strives to protect the citizen initiative by the use of the process itself.

While Democratic-leaning petitions tend to focus on the districts surrounding St. Louis, Savage indicated a different strategy.

“We are not going to ignore rural Missouri (and) small-town Missouri,” she stated. “Everyone is important.”

Interested individuals or prospective volunteers can learn more about the coalition at respectmovoters.org.