WHY MISSOURI SHOULDN’T MOVE THE GOALPOSTS TO MAKE AMENDING ITS CONSTITUTION HARDER

Ohio voters just gave the nation a historic lesson on how to fight gerrymandering. Expect Republicans here to resist

What do you think about the following ideas?

•       Allowing women to vote.

•       Prohibiting public officials from appointing relatives to office.

•       Authorizing local governments to issue pensions to firefighters.

•       Establishing a nonpartisan system for appointing and electing judges

•       Allow gambling boats on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

Do you know what these have in common? Every one of them was enacted into law by Missouri voters at the ballot box as amendments to the state Constitution.

And each was approved by simple majorities ranging from 50.32 to 56.16 percent of the electorate.

All of these measures would have failed under a new 57 percent threshold that Republicans want to impose on amendments to the state Constitution. They’re hoping to con voters next year into approving it.

Do you believe Missouri would be better off had these five propositions not been codified in the state Constitution?