Missouri voters and lawmakers clash over who should be able to initiate constitutional amendments

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri voters and the lawmakers they elect could be headed for a clash at the ballot box over the power to set public policy.

Citizen activists rallying Wednesday at the Missouri Capitol kicked off an initiative petition drive for a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it harder for state lawmakers to reverse or revise citizen-led initiatives approved by voters.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers at the Capitol for a special session about redistricting are proposing their own constitutional amendment that would make it harder for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments to pass.

The conflicting measures, which both could appear on the 2026 ballot, highlight the growing tension in Missouri and elsewhere between the will of voters and their el