HCS HB 228 -- INITIATIVE PETITIONS AND REFERENDUMS (Parson)

COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN:  Special Committee on General Laws

This substitute changes the laws regarding initiative petitions
and referendums.  In its main provisions, the substitute:

(1)  Requires a petition circulator to be a United States citizen
and a Missouri resident;

(2)  Specifies that petition circulators cannot have been
convicted of, found guilty of, or pled guilty to any offense
involving forgery;

(3)  Prohibits the payment of petition circulators on a
per-signature basis;

(4)  Requires petition circulators to supply information to the
Office of the Secretary of State verifying their eligibility and
to swear by affidavit that they will comply with the conditions
of the substitute;

(5)  Specifies that signatures collected by unregistered
circulators or circulators who have violated the
payment-per-signature requirement will not be counted;

(6)  Specifies that anyone who knowingly signs any name other
than his or her own to any petition will be guilty of a class one
election offense;

(7)  Requires a refundable deposit of $500 for filing a ballot
measure for certification by the Secretary of State.  If the
ballot measure is not certified, the deposit will be forfeited to
the General Revenue Fund but a person may withdraw and resubmit a
petition without paying an additional deposit; and

(8)  Establishes a mechanism for reducing the tax rate imposed by
any taxing authority by voter petition.  If 33% of registered
voters petition for a lower tax rate, their proposal must be
considered at the next regular election; and if 66% or more
registered voters approve the petition, it will take effect.  The
election process and tax rate adjustment process are specified in
the substitute.

The substitute becomes effective January 1, 2011.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Income on General Revenue Fund of $0 in
FY 2010, $17,000 in FY 2011, and $0 in FY 2012.  No impact on
Other State Funds in FY 2010, FY 2011, and FY 2012.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated November 17, 2009 at 9:24 am