A measure that would make it harder to pass some Missouri ballot measures has cleared its first legislative hurdle.

The state House elections committee voted Thursday 10-5 along party lines to send the measure to the full chamber after seven hours of testimony. A vote there could come as early as Monday.

"To change the constitution in the state of Missouri, there should be broad statewide support," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Ed Lewis, R-Moberly. "Every last inch of the state of Missouri needs to be represented if we want to change the constitution by initiative petition."

The proposed constitutional amendment would require that measures placed on the ballot through the initiative petition process pass with a majority in each of the state's eight congressional districts, as well as st

See Full Page