Missouri

Missouri

Kirkwood voters are once again being asked for an up-or-down decision on banning smoking in the city’s public places and workplaces. The city council voted last week to put such a proposition on the Nov. 3 ballot, acknowledging the success of the petition drive to acquire sufficient signatures to force a vote.

Read the story from the Webster-Kirkwood Times

Area residents could face cramps in their writing hands if they start signing all of the initiative petitions for upcoming ballot issues. The issues range from affirmative action, to real estate taxes, to stem cell research. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan announced that seven initiative petitions, four relating to stem cell research, one pertaining to banning affirmative action programs, another to health carriers, and the last involving real estate taxation, met state standards for circulation.

The American Cancer Society,  American Lung Association and American Heart Association are calling on St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley to reject a smoking ordinance approved Tuesday by the County Council and to instead ask the council to start over on a new one.  The council ordinance that was approved 4-3 would send the proposal to voters. It could go on the ballot Nov. 3. In addition to its plea to veto the ordinance, the American Cancer Society feels so strongly that the proposal is flawed that it is paying for a radio commercial against the bill.

Two major money issues are well on their way to being on the November ballot. Tuesday night, the Springfield School Board unanimously voted to put a $50-million bond issue on the ballot.  Several people spoke out against it because of some of the projects currently proposed under the bond— like turning Study Middle School into a K-12 alternative school and expanding Westport Elementary.  Some also said it would be bad timing for voters if the city decides to put another sales tax initiative on the ballot to help the ailing police and fire pension.

Springfield city council will begin the process Thursday of deciding if they will ask voters to approve a sales tax increase to fund the police and firefighters pension fund. Members of the citizen task force presented their recommendations to council members at Monday’s city council meeting.  Their recommendation is that city council should ask voters to increase the sales tax by 5/8 or 3/4 percent and police and firefighters should increase their contributions by up to 2%.

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Patients who want to choose their physician without restrictions by an insurance company are a step closer to their goal. Missourians United for Choice in Healthcare , a Springfield-based group, has the go-ahead to begin collecting signatures to put the measure on the November 2010 ballot. Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan approved the group’s ballot language for the issue, Carnahan’s Web site confirms.

Read the story from the News-Leader

Seven petitions ok'd in Missouri

Mon, Aug 10 2009 — Source: KBIA

A few groups are a step closer to asking voters to amend the state’s constitution on the 2010 ballot. KBIA’s Maureen McCollum explains. Four groups bringing seven ballot initiative have made it to petition-approval stage. Now, initiative organizers need to collect enough signatures to actually get their issue on the 2010 ballot. The Secretary of State’s office has okayed seven initiative petitions. A couple of the initiatives could repeal the 2006 voter approved access to stem-cell therapies and research.

The streak has ended. The approval of eleven consecutive ballot issues in Independence fell Tuesday as 60.45 percent of voters said “no” to a sales tax increase that would have funded additional police officers, equipment, facilities and technology. “The people have spoken,” Independence Mayor Don Reimal said Tuesday night shortly after the final precinct reported. Reimal and other supporters informally gathered at The Courthouse Exchange. “We need to take a look at what they’ve said, look at their concerns and see what we can do to alleviate their concerns.

It appears likely that a proposal to ban smoking in most indoor, public places in Kirkwood will be decided by voters come November. The results of the November vote, however, may not represent the final word on the status of lighting up in the Greentree City. That’s because there are currently two other smoke-related initiatives making their way through the political process pipeline.

Read the story from the Webster-Kirkwood Times

A small Jackson County fire district would impose a new half-cent sales tax in the Blue Summit area if a ballot measure is approved on Tuesday. The Inter City Fire Protection District serves about 700 residents in unincorporated Jackson County between Independence and Kansas City. If voters approve the measure, the district would impose the tax to generate revenue for its operation while reducing property taxes.

Read the story from the Kansas City Star

The St. Louis County Council tonight may take a critical vote on placing a ban on smoking in indoor public places before voters on Nov. 3. Council members would consider tentatively approving the measure through a second reading of the smoking bill.

Read the story from Saint Louis Today

At their regular meeting this week, the city council for Arnold, MO took up and passed a resolution rebuking the Missouri Municipal League for their obstruction of an eminent domain ballot initiative.

A suburban St. Louis man wants to ask Missouri voters to repeal the state’s tax on personal property such as cars and boats. Richard La Violette has formed a campaign committee called “Team 2012” to get the repeal on the November 2012 ballot.

Read the story from the Missourian

Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder is backing a proposed constitutional amendment requiring secret balloting for union elections. The Republican lieutenant governor was set to join business owners Tuesday in St. Louis to promote the proposed 2010 ballot initiative. Kinder plans similar events in Springfield, Joplin, Cape Girardeau and Kansas City over the next month.

Read the story from KTVI 2

Stymied by an unwilling Missouri Senate, opponents of the current method of choosing many judges in the state will head to the ballot and ask voters for help. This morning on a conference call, James Harris, director of the Better Courts for Missouri group, announced that his group would be filing an initiative petition to get rid of the Missouri Plan and replace it with the federal model for choosing judges. “It has worked well for the United States for more than 200 years and we think it will work well for Missouri,” said Harris.