Initiative petition headed to your ballot

Dear Constituents,

 

The state legislature returned to the Capitol earlier this month for a special session to work on initiative petition reform and federal congressional redistricting. A few weeks prior, I had written to Gov. Kehoe and asked for a special session to address our broken initiative petition process, so it was an honor to go back to Jefferson City to address both critical issues for the people of our state.

 

I believe I have been clear on where I stand on initiative petition reform and my firm belief that we must utilize our representative form of government in the process by which we amend our constitution; otherwise, the rural voices in the state will continue to be silenced. With that in mind, I do believe that it was important to propose a method by which we can reform the process that requires more consensus across the state, instead of only the population centers.

 

The proposed change comes in the form of a ballot measure that will be put before the Missouri voters next year.

 

Hopefully, Missourians will understand the need to raise the threshold needed to amend our state’s most important document – our Constitution.

 

When it comes to redistricting, I believe that the people of our state deserve representation that best represents them.

 

When this topic was brought up, I committed to thoroughly reviewing the map proposed by Governor Kehoe to

 

ensure that it did not adversely impact our district. That said, I do believe that the new map proposed by Governor Kehoe does reflect the feelings of the people of our district who want to see our values reflected in Washington D.C.

 

Based on my research and homework, I feel strongly that the map drawn in 2022 – a 6-2 map - was not a good representation of Missouri’s true makeup and was happy to be able to vote on a map that better represents Missouri values.

 

Before I go any further, I want to pause and take a moment to recognize one of my colleagues who dedicated his life to serving the citizens of Jefferson County, District 114, in the Missouri House of Representatives. Representative Ken Waller was an outstanding public servant who will be missed by many in his community, the Capitol, and beyond. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.

 

To the people of District 154, I want to assure you that I am still working hard for our communities. I’ve been out in the community talking to our cities, businesses, and everyday people that make our communities great. I have learned a lot by speaking to all of you, and I want to sincerely thank everyone that has taken the time to inform me about the issues our communities face. I am proud to work with State Agencies and my colleagues in the legislature to address these issues.

 

As we wrap up summer and enter the fall months, my staff and I are still preparing legislation for next session. If you have any burdensome regulations or government red tape that you would like to see eliminated, please reach out to me or my office. If you have a great idea for some legislation, it is not too late to relay it to me or my office.

 

It is an honor to serve you, the citizens of district 154, in the Missouri House of Representatives. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of service to you.

 

Rep. Lisa Durnell (R-154)