Missouri rejects Amendment 6, which would have added on court fees for law enforcement
Defendants in Missouri will not be subject to additional court fees, after voters Tuesday rejected a ballot measure.
Amendment 6 overwhelmingly failed, with “no votes” leading by 61% shortly after 11:10 p.m., with 91% of precincts reporting, according to the Missouri Secretary of State.
The ballot measure proposed a $3 fee for sheriff pension funds and a $4 fee for prosecuting attorney pension funds.
The amendment was rewritten after the Missouri Court of Appeals in September found the original language misleading. It did “not include the central feature of the amendment,” which is the levying of fees, the court said.
The ballot’s revised phrasing asked: Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel?
Proponents said the fees were necessary to fund the pension systems. Opponents said court fees disproportionately impact people with lower incomes and can create debtors’ prisons.
