Missouri petitions are direct democracy. Don’t let politicians gut them | Opinion

Unlike the residents of some states, Missouri voters have a power of self-governance that is the envy of voters across the nation: the right to propose and pass laws, the right to amend the state constitution, and the right to keep elected officials accountable through citizen-initiated ballot measures. This August, that cherished right is in jeopardy — and Missourians should vote no on Amendment 4 to protect it.

Amendment 4 would fundamentally change how citizen-initiated constitutional amendments are approved in Missouri. Today, ballot measures pass with a simple statewide majority vote. Amendment 4 would add a new requirement so that a measure would need to win a majority of votes in all eight of Missouri’s congressional districts to pass. Individual congressional districts, representing as few as 7% of the state’s total voters, would have the power to block measures that receive clear majority support statewide. That means a small geographic minority could override the will of Missourians everywhere else.

I was born and raised in Kansas City. I also serve as chief policy and impact officer at Health Forward Foundation, where our mission is to advance health equity and create a fair and just region through leadership, advocacy and resources. That work depends on people having meaningful opportunities to shape public policy.

Civic participation is central to health and well-being. Communities use democratic tools to address issues that affect their daily lives — from access to health care and economic opportunity to workplace protections and family stability. This matters in rural communities and in Missouri’s urban centers alike, where the vast majority of Missouri’s Black, Latino, Indigenous and historically marginalized communities live. These are communities that have faced the highest barriers to education, health care and economic opportunity. Amendment 4 would make it virtually impossible for Missourians to enact policies they believe will improve their lives when their elected representatives either don’t act, or act against their interests.

Missouri voters have put this right to good use. In recent years, we used the initiative process to expand Medicaid, overturn the ban on reproductive rights, raise wages and secure paid sick leave for working families. Medicaid expansion passed with 53% of the statewide vote — but support was concentrated enough in certain districts that a district-based requirement could have blocked it entirely. Regardless of where people stand on individual issues, the initiative process ensured that people, not politicians, had the final say.

Missourians should be cautious whenever we are asked to give up direct political power. That is exactly what Amendment 4 asks: It enlarges the buffer between our elected representatives in Jefferson City and the people in every ZIP code across our state. It gives those elected representatives more leeway to rule without fear of consequence or care for community interest — and removes a critical check on their power.

This year, Missourians will consider nine ballot measures that could shape the state’s future — a clear indication that our right to initiative petition is valued. Whatever our political differences, we should protect the ability of the people to participate directly in those decisions. The tradition of citizen-initiated democracy has long been one of Missouri’s greatest democratic strengths.

The Missouri Constitution expressly states that we, the people, have the authority to propose and reject laws and constitutional amendments. We must not take that for granted. Protect it: Vote no on Amendment 4 this August.

McClain Bryant Macklin vice president of policy and impact for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Health Forward Foundation in Kansas City.