Missouri
Clay Chastain has asked the Missouri Supreme Court to take up his case against the City Council and its repeal of his 2006 light-rail initiative. In papers filed with the court, Valerie Chastain ”” his wife and lawyer ”” said “it is incredulous” that the city charter allows the council to throw out a voter-passed proposal.
Promoters of a ban on smoking in indoor public places have enough signatures on petitions to start the initiative process that could lead to a vote on the proposal. The St. Louis County Election Board announced Tuesday that the petitions had 1,089 valid signatures, 54 more than the number the city charter requires to start the process.
Secretary of State Robin Carnahan is appealing a decision striking down a ballot summary for an initiative limiting affirmative action programs in Missouri. A judge ruled last month that Carnahan should have rejected the proposal because of a technical flaw in its wording. The judge also said Carnahan’s summary of the initiative was inadequate and unfair.
A Missouri judge has struck down a ballot summary prepared by Secretary of State Robin Carnahan for a proposed constitutional amendment restricting eminent domain. Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan ruled Tuesday that the summary is “insufficient and unfair” because it suggests the measure would add some restrictions that already exist in the constitution.
The sponsor of an initiative limiting affirmative-action programs says he plans to submit a new version after a court ruled against his first try. A Missouri judge said last Friday that Secretary of State Robin Carnahan should have rejected the proposal because of a technical flaw in its wording.
A group that wants the city to ban smoking in indoor public places today gave officials petitions that would start an initiative process that could put the proposal on the ballot. The petitions contain 1,258 signatures, said Mary Murphy-Overmann, president of Healthy Air For Kirkwood, sponsor of the initiative. Anti-smoking supporters need 1,036 signatures to put to start the initiative process. City Clerk Betty Montano said she received the petitions at noon. They will go this afternoon the St. Louis County Election Board for a check of the validity of signatures, she said.
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For a second time, city voters could decide whether to ban smoking in indoor public places. Promoters of an initiative announced Monday they are close to obtaining enough signatures to put the ban on the ballot. If their petitions are valid, they hope for an election in November, but a combination of city charter and state election deadlines could put off the election until February.
An effort to recall Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser has stalled because recall proponents do not have funds for legal fees. The group has said it lacks the $10,000 in legal fees needed to court-order a recount of signatures. Petitioners came up just 129 signatures short of the 16,950 needed to trigger a recall election.
Chastain was in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday to kick off a petition drive to place a new public transit initiative on the November ballot.
The organizer of an effort to recall Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser said the group has met its goal of 16,950 signatures to call a vote.
Kansas City voters may have a chance to recall the city’s Mayor if recall supporters are successful at collecting the 17,000 signatures necessary to trigger an election. Final petitions are due in to the city clerk on Monday.
The Missouri House has voted to send a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to a secret ballot in union elections on to a final House vote. Missouri joins 12 other states that are considering guaranteeing secret ballot elections in response to the proposed federal legislation that would allow unions to be certified without using secret balloting.
A Cole County judge has upheld ballot wording for an upcoming abortion initiative. The wording had been challenged by both sides in the debate.
While some in the Missouri legislature would like to see the initiative process restricted, a Senate committee gave approval today of a bill that would open up the state’s initiative process. The Senate Elections Committee voted 9-0 to send SB 569 to the full Senate for a vote.