Missouri Advisory Opinions April 20, 2021: 40-2021

Advisory Opinion Text

Missouri Secretary of State James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center 600 West Main Street Jefferson City, MO 65101

Dear Secretary Ashcroft:

This opinion letter responds to your request dated April 9, 2021 for our review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Winston Apple, version 1, 2022-018. The proposed summary statement is as follows:

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

• elect 20 representatives from each congressional district plus 3 at-large;

• elect senators on a statewide basis;

• eliminate the primary election for legislators;

• allow each voter to cast up to 10 ranked votes for General Assembly candidates;

• elect the candidates with the highest votes by ranking;

• allow senators and representatives to cast weighted votes in the General Assembly based on the number of votes they received at the last election; and

• allow representatives to serve to the end of their term even if they move from their district?

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