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Amendment 6: Initiative and Referendum Powers; 80% Legislative Vote to Change Voter-Approved Laws

Statewide — all of Missouri

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

  • Citizen-initiated constitutional amendment proposed by the Respect MO Voters campaign. The campaign reported submitting more than 367,000 signatures in May 2026 (KFVS), well above the number needed to qualify, and the Secretary of State's page lists a Certificate of Sufficiency for initiative petition 2026-106.[1][3]

The question on the ballot

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: expand the initiative and referendum petition process by making it a fundamental right; allow courts to revise ballot summaries through lawsuits; prohibit the legislature from weakening initiative or referendum powers; prohibit the legislature from changing or repealing laws enacted through the initiative process, or passing laws similar to those rejected by referendum, without approval from at least 80% of both chambers; and preserve existing majority vote and signature requirements for initiative and referendum petitions? State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.[1]

Per the Secretary of State's Fair Ballot Language, a yes vote prohibits elected representatives from directly amending or changing any law enacted through the initiative process; requires any modification of initiative-enacted laws to be referred to the people by a vote of at least 80% of each chamber of the General Assembly; restricts the legislature from passing laws that limit the ability to pursue initiatives and referenda; and maintains the current signature requirements (5% of legal voters in each of two-thirds of congressional districts for a law; 8% for a constitutional amendment) and the simple statewide majority needed to enact a measure. Ballotpedia additionally describes provisions on ballot summary standards and strict scrutiny for laws affecting initiative and referendum rights. State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.[1][2]

A YES vote means

“A ‘yes’ vote will prohibit the people’s elected representatives from directly amending or changing any law enacted through the initiative process; require that any modifications to laws enacted through the initiative process be referred to the people by a vote of at least 80% of each chamber of the General Assembly; restrict the legislature from passing laws that limit the ability to pursue initiatives and referenda; maintain the current signature requirements ... and maintain the current requirement that a simple statewide majority of votes cast on a measure by individual legal voters is sufficient to enact any law or constitutional amendment.” (Secretary of State, Fair Ballot Language)

A NO vote means

“A ‘no’ vote will not change the current constitutional provisions, which already give citizens the right to propose initiatives and referenda.” (Secretary of State, Fair Ballot Language)

The law today

Currently there are no restrictions on lawmakers altering or repealing laws passed by initiative, as happened in 2025 when the legislature repealed paid sick leave and minimum-wage inflation adjustments. A majority of lawmakers in both chambers can propose changes to initiative-passed constitutional amendments, but those changes must also pass statewide. A "no" vote leaves the current constitutional initiative and referendum provisions unchanged.[7][1]

Official fiscal estimate

Official ballot statement: State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings. The Fair Ballot Language adds that, if passed, the measure will not increase or decrease taxes.[1]

Read the full text of the measure ↗

Arguments made for

  • Respect MO Voters campaign website: the measure will "Make it harder for politicians to change or undo what the people have already voted on."[4]
  • Jack Cardetti, spokesman for the Yes on Amendment 6 campaign: "Amendment 6 ensures that Missourians can be a check and balance on politicians when they are ignoring our voices."[6]
  • Eric Bronner, co-founder of Veterans for All Voters, a supporter of Amendment 6, in a news release: "For more than 118 years, Missourians have had the power to put issues directly before the voters," and "Amendment 6 is about protecting that right and making sure that when Missourians vote for something, politicians can't simply undo their decision after the election."[7]

Arguments made against

  • Missouri Republican State Committee resolution (September 26, 2026) opposing Amendment 6: requiring an 80% vote of both chambers before certain initiative-enacted laws may be amended or repealed "would establish a substantially different threshold for legislative action than the ordinary legislative process, disrupting the legislative process and creating a virtual impossibility to amend these laws."[5]
  • State Sen. Joe Nicola (R-Grain Valley), who recently wrote: "This is the most important amendment on the ballot," and "If it passes, it will begin to deconstruct our Constitutional Republic."[6]
  • Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, in a statement to ABC17: "Proposed Amendment 6 would permanently handcuff lawmakers from cleaning up or responding to bad or misleading ballot measures, or those that simply have unintended consequences."[8]

On record in support

  • Respect MO Voters / Yes on Amendment 6 campaign (sponsor), whose spokesman is Jack Cardetti.[6][4]
  • Missouri AFL-CIO.[6]
  • Former Republican U.S. Sen. Jack Danforth.[6]
  • Former Democratic Secretary of State Jason Kander.[6]
  • Former Republican state Sen. Bob Johnson.[6][8]
  • Veterans for All Voters (co-founder Eric Bronner).[7]

On record in opposition

  • Missouri Republican State Committee (resolution opposing Amendment 6).[9][5]
  • Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, who called the measure something that would "permanently handcuff lawmakers" (statement to ABC17).[8]
  • Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, who wrote on X in August (as reported by ABC17) that she opposes Amendment 6.[8]
  • State Sen. Joe Nicola (R-Grain Valley).[6]
  • Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which has warned that businesses need confidence the state can respond when a policy proves unworkable.[6]
  • MO Protect PAC, described by the Missouri Independent as the organized opposition.[6]

Campaign money

Per the Missouri Independent's review of Missouri Ethics Commission filings (Oct. 14, 2026): a committee called Vote Yes on Amendment 6 has reported more than $4.7 million in large contributions since Sept. 8, including more than $1.1 million from the Missouri AFL-CIO, $500,000 from the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, $400,000 from IBEW Local 124 and $300,000 from Sheet Metal Workers Local 36. On the opposing side, MO Protect PAC reported $14,870 on hand on Oct. 1 and later received $10,000 each from political committees supporting Republican state Sens. Jason Bean and Brad Hudson.[6]

Research notes & limits

Official ballot title, fiscal statement and Fair Ballot Language are quoted from the Missouri Secretary of State's certified-measure page. Missouri publishes no state voter pamphlet with pro/con arguments, so arguments are from campaign materials and news reports. Registered supporting campaign: Respect MO Voters. The Missouri Republican State Committee is the only organized opponent found (Ballotpedia lists no separate opposition committee). The Secretary of State's yes/no text is abridged with an ellipsis in yesMeans; the full Fair Ballot Language is in the cited page. Verified that the Secretary of State lists exactly five measures for Nov 3, 2026 (Amendments 3, 6, 7, 8 and Proposition A). To keep one statement per side, the quote from a campaign volunteer (KFVS) was dropped; the opposition has only the Missouri Republican State Committee resolution. Added Oct. 19: supporters, opponents and finance come from Missouri Independent and ABC17 reports of Ethics Commission filings; the Ethics Commission's own database was not queried directly. Hoskins and Hanaway are named as opponents on the strength of their own public statements as reported by ABC17.

Sources · 9

Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.2026 Ballot Measures (certified for the November 3, 2026 general election) · Missouri Secretary of State Official record
  2. 2.Missouri Amendment 6, Initiative and Referendum Powers and Legislative Change Requirements Amendment (2026) · Ballotpedia Reference
  3. 3.Campaign turns in record number of signatures to make it harder for politicians to change voter-approved measures in Missouri · KFVS12 · 2026-05-03 News report
  4. 4.Respect MO Voters · Respect MO Voters campaign Candidate's own words
  5. 5.Missouri GOP Opposes Amendment 6 · Missouri Republican State Committee · 2026-09-29 Candidate's own words
  6. 6.Amendment 6 would remake balance of power between Missouri voters and lawmakers · Missouri Independent · 2026-10-14 News report
  7. 7.Missouri voters will decide limits on lawmakers rewriting ballot measures · Missouri Independent · 2026-09-03 News report
  8. 8.TRUTH ALERT: Amendment 6 empowers direct democracy in Missouri, but opponents warn of consequences · ABC17 News (KMIZ) · 2026-10-15 News report
  9. 9.Missouri Republicans scramble to launch late campaigns on two ballot measures · Missouri Independent · 2026-09-29 News report