The Southeast Missourian recently reported that Missouri State Rep. Mike Dethrow has introduced a constitutional amendment into that state’s assembly that would make it more difficult to amend the state constitution with measures that affect fish and wildlife issues.
Under Dethrow’s proposed amendment, any initiative that deals with fish and wildlife issues that ends up on the ballot as a result of Missouri’s petition initiative system would require a supermajority of four-sevenths in order to pass. At the moment, all that is required for the passage of any such ballot initiative is a simple majority. Under Dethrow’s amendment, any initiative placed on the ballot by the state legislature would still require only a simple majority.
A similar amendment was introduced several years ago after a St. Louis-based animal rights group tried to pass an initiative to ban the trapping of river otters. That initiative, however, never garnered enough support to make it on the ballot.
If Missouri’s legislature approves the measure it could appear on the November 2004 ballot.
Source:
Supermajorities proposed for conversation measures. Marc Powers, Southeast Missourian, April 2003.