Missouri legalized abortion, raised the minimum wage and instituted paid sick leave at the ballot box last November — progressive measures in a state where Republicans hold a veto-proof majority in the legislature and control every statewide office.
Those measures were on the ballot in the first place because voters put them there through Missouri's initiative petition process. Elected officials had little to do with creating the laws, and now, both the abortion amendment and paid sick leave could be overturned during the legislative session.
Overturning, amending or slow-walking voter-led measures isn't uncommon in Missouri, or in the other 23 states that have initiative petitions.
"So often what happens is we see trends where public opinion is moving faster than legislators are," said Anne Whitesell, assistant professor of political science at Miami University.
In Missouri, political science professor George Connor says the trend is a result of changing political opinion — and there's little political risk for Republicans.
"Missouri used to be sort of a purple state, and it's become a red state," he said. "The Democratic populations in Kansas City and St. Louis have driven (initiative petition measures), and many of these earlier ones into the 2000s were strictly urban rural splits. As the urban numbers go down, especially on the St. Louis side, the Republicans have a greater advantage."
- Anne Whitesell, assistant professor of political science at Miami University
- George Connor, professor emeritus of political science at Missouri State University
