Redistricting bill and initiative petition reform resolution pass in Second Special Legislative Session

September 12, 2025 - The Missouri Senate used a change of rules and multiple procedural motions to overcome Democrat filibusters and pass both a bill changing the composition of congressional districts as well as AIM-supported initiative petition reform.

HJR 3, sponsored by Rep. Ed Lewis and handled in the Senate by Sen. Brad Hudson, if approved by voters, would help ensure voters in non-urban areas have the same voice as those in urban areas when amending the Missouri Constitution by initiative petition. For example, although Proposition A was not a constitutional amendment, it failed in more than 75% of Missouri counties (87/115 including St. Louis City), yet passed with 57% of total vote. HJR 3 would require a majority in each congressional district for passage.

A new hearing process for initiative petitions would allow advocates and opponents to air their concerns for or against both statutory changes and constitutional amendments. Although this is better than the current process that provides no hearing, the language of initiative petitions still may not be changed. But because the measure is bypassing the regular legislative process that requires multiple hearings and opportunities for proponents and opponents to be heard and legislators to adjust language of bills, it is an improvement over the current process.

HJR 3 would also require voters be provided the full text of amendments in either printed or digital form at the time of voting to better inform voters. Again, Proposition A was a great example. The most onerous provisions of the proposition were in the multiple pages of the petition that voters did not have readily available to them when voting – provisions that prevented employers from using reasonable controls over the use of paid sick leave, allowing lawsuits against employers, etc.

Associated Industries of Missouri strongly supported the changes to the initiative petition process contained in HJR 3 in both the House and Senate hearings. The measure will now be presented directly to voters in the November 2026 election or at a special election for that purpose called by Governor Kehoe.

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver speaks to HB 1 sponsor Rep. Dirk Deaton in the Senate hearing on the bill to change the makeup of congressional districts in Missouri. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb) Click HERE for full AP article

Associated Industries of Missouri took no position on HB 1, a bill changing the makeup of congressional districts. That bill was also passed and will be presented to Governor Kehoe for his approval. If signed by the governor, the bill would redefine the congressional district currently represented by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, who testified against the bill in the Senate hearing yesterday. No business advocacy groups testified for the bill in that Senate hearing.