Missouri Advisory Opinions February 22, 2021: 16-2021

Advisory Opinion Text

The Honorable John R. Ashcroft

Missouri Secretary of State

James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center

600 West Main Street

Jefferson City, MO 65101

OPINION LETTER

Dear Secretary Ashcroft:

This opinion letter responds to your request dated February 5, 2021 for our review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Winston Apple, Article III (2022-007). The proposed summary statement is as follows:

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution regarding state legislatures as follows:

• reduce the number of representatives from 163 to 80 (10 from each congressional district);

• reduce the number of senators from 34 to 24 (3 from each congressional district);

• reduce the term for senators from 4 to 2 years;

• eliminate the primary election for legislators;

• at the general election, each voter casts up to 10 ranked votes for candidates for the General Assembly;

• the 13 candidates with the highest vote totals per congressional district, the highest 3 are elected as senators; the remaining 10 are elected as representatives?

Pursuant to § 116.334, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the proposed statement. Because our review of the statement is mandated by statute, no action that we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement of the petition, nor as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its proponents.

Very Truly yours

ERIC S. SCHMITT, ATTORNEY GENERAL