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Lawmaker wants 'fair' ballot language
Category: Ballot Access · State: Missouri · Source: Springfield News-Leader
Last month, numerous Greene County voters said they stood in polling booths, puzzled about what a county ballot initiative meant.
Some told reporters they had no idea what they voted for or against because the ballot language for Question 1 read like a section of law only discernable with a copy of the state constitution handy.
Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mount Vernon, wants to reform the way ballot questions are presented to voters by giving them a "fair" interpretation of what current laws mean and how they would be altered under the proposed changes.
"The Greene County Question 1 is a good example of letting people understand what it is now and what we're changing it to," said Goodman, who doesn't represent Greene County but heard plenty of complaints about it from voters.
Goodman said voters deserve easy-to-understand information at the ballot box to make informed decisions.
"I want to work to make sure voters truly understand what they're voting on and the consequence of what they're voting on," he said.
Goodman's legislation, Senate Bill 35, would establish a newly created bipartisan eight-member Fair Ballot Commission to review and approve ballot language.
Entering his second term representing Barry, Lawrence, McDonald, Ozark, Stone and Taney counties in the Senate, Goodman remains the assistant majority floor leader and will likely chair a committee, although assignments have not yet been announced.
In addition to the fair ballot language bill, Goodman has pre-filed two other bills.
During the 2008 session, Goodman unsuccessfully sought a bill that would have allowed prosecutors to seek the death penalty against perpetrators who raped or sodomized a child under 12 years old. It was modeled after a Louisiana law.
Over the summer, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Louisiana law, effectively ending efforts in Missouri and other states to make child rape punishable by death.
But Goodman has modified the bill for the 2009 session, eliminating the death penalty clause. His new legislation, Senate Bill 36, would give prosecutors the option to seek life without parole for crimes of brutal rape and sodomy of a child.
"Under existing law, the maximum, even though you can call it a life sentence, is 30 years," said Goodman, a former Dade County assistant prosecutor.
Goodman's Senate Bill 37 would allow regional public defender systems to contract with private attorneys to take certain types of lower-level criminal defense cases. Missouri is one of seven states where public defender systems are under tremendous caseload strain, creating bad national press and delaying justice by months and, in some cases, years.
"It's becoming a very big problem," Goodman said. "The real losers are the crime victims. They're not getting their case solved. They're not getting to move on with their lives."
Goodman said privatizing some of the defense work allows the state to provide adequate defense and utilize the contractor's support staff and offices, eliminating the need to expand current government-run public defender offices. He said his bill is a short-term fix to a system that's woefully underfunded.
"Until we're able to do that, this allows some flexibility and greater efficiency," Goodman said. "If we don't put in place a system for the protections of everyone's right when they're accused, then the rights you and I enjoy wouldn't mean anything."
Missouri affirmative action ballot proposal draws challenges
Category: Civil Rights · State: Missouri · Source: Columbia Missourian
The wording of a proposed ballot measure banning many Missouri affirmative action programs has again prompted litigation from supporters and critics of the measure.
Earlier this month, the secretary of state's office approved for circulation a proposed 2010 ballot measure that would restrict affirmative action programs in public contracting, employment and education. An identical proposition for the 2008 ballot never qualified and led to lawsuits questioning the fairness of the ballot summary that's prepared by the secretary of state.
Petition sponsor Tim Asher said Monday that he will again challenge the measure's ballot summary. Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union said it would seek to have the entire measure declared unconstitutional, or to at least get the ballot summary rewritten.
Missouri Affirmative Action
Category: Affirmative Action · State: Missouri · Source: KOMU 8
Opponents are taking aim at Missouri's affirmative action programs.
They'll try again in 2010 to get Missourians to vote for a constitutional amendment banning the programs.
It's finals week at Lincoln University and the only sounds heard at the library are the pages of books turning. But if voters ban affirmative action in missouri some say that sound could turn to uproar.
"I feel they want to stop the progess of miniorties. I feel like its wrong," said student, Jamere Thurman.
The secretary of state has approved the circulation of a petition that proposes an end to affirmative action in public employment, education and contracting.
"In last election section we did see this initiative but they didn't turn in the signatures to have it on the ballot," said Laura Egerdal, who works for the secretary of state's office.
Reached in Colorado, the petition's sponsor said the proposal did not make it on this years ballot because supporters simply ran out of time. Petition sponsor, Tim Asher, is confident his group will get enough signatures to put the issue before voters. The opponents have more than a year to get the signatures to put the issue on the 2010 ballot.
Group proposes 8-year limit for all Mo. offices
Category: Term Limits · State: Missouri · Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Missouri's statewide officeholders would be limited to two four-year terms under a proposed ballot measure.
Currently, only lawmakers, the governor and state treasurer have term limits. The secretary of state, state auditor, lieutenant governor and attorney general can continue serving for as long as they are elected.
The group pushing term limits is led by Ed Martin, the former chief of staff to Gov. Matt Blunt. Supporters plan to collect signatures for the measure if lawmakers do not put it on the 2010 ballot.
Former Secretary of State James Kirkpatrick holds the record for longest tenure in office. He held the post for two decades from 1965 to 1985. Attorney General Jay Nixon, the current dean of the executive branch, is completing his fourth term.
Renewable energy initiative will be on November ballot
Category: Environmentalism · State: Missouri · Source: Missourian
Backers of a proposal requiring Missouri utilities to use more renewable energy said Monday a state judge has ordered the measure be placed on the November ballot. The secretary of state's office in August determined that supporters of the renewable energy measure had fallen short in their petition drive to place the question before voters. Missourians for Cleaner Cheaper Energy sued to challenge the finding. Jim Kottmeyer, a spokesman for the group, said Monday that a Cole County judge had sided with them. The measure would require utilities to use solar, wind, biomass and hydropower for at least 2 percent of the electricity they sell by 2011. By 2021, renewable energy sources would need to be used for at least 15 percent of electricity production - of which at least 2 percent would need to be solar power. The measure would cap any utility rate increases to comply with the mandate at 1 percent.
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