MO VOTERS PASS AMENDMENT 1, 2, 4, and PROPOSITION B

by BENJAMIN C. NELSON

Besides candidate races, Missouri voters had a choice on several Constitutional Amendments and Propositions on their ballots during the November Midterm Election. Close to a million and a half Missourians voted in favor of Amendment 1, raking in close to 62% of the vote. Amendment 2 was passed with 65% of the vote which totaled a little over 1.5 million Missourians. Amendment 4 was more contested, passing with a little over 50% of the vote and 1.1 million Missourians voting in favor. Finally, Proposition B was passed by close to 1.5 million Missourians garnering 62% of the vote on election night.

Proposition B will raise the minimum wage to $12.00 dollar an hour by 2023 with roughly a 53% increase over the next five years. Statewide the current wage is $7.85 and will jump to $8.60 in January. In 2017 the Missouri State Legislature passed a bill that barred counties and cities to raise the minimum wage above the state's minimum wage. Labor Unions collected signatures (roughly 120,000) to get the initiative on the November ballot, in which Missourians would ultimately vote in favor of the proposal.

Missourians also approved Constitutional Amendment 1 which is known as "Clean Missouri." In this Amendment one of the biggest changes to the state is congressional redistricting. In the past a commission of five Democrats and five Republicans would draw the state senate districts while eight Democrats and eight Republicans would draw the state house districts. Each time, 70% of the commission would have to agree on the district proposals/changes for them to be enacted. Amendment 1 will now force the State Auditor to chose one person called the "demographer." They also have to approved by the State Senate Majority and Minority Leaders. The demographer will have to adhere to Amendment 1's criteria when drawing the redistricts - mainly following "fairness and competitiveness." The current commission can propose changes but again, 70% of the current commission must approve of their changes. Another part of the Amendment limits campaign contributions to $2,000 for a House candidate per person, per election cycle. The same applies for a Senate candidate only that there is a cap of $2,500. The Amendment also bans the state legislature for passing any bill which could make campaign contributions unlimited. Finally, the Amendment forces donors to any campaign to do so under their real name and not conceal it simply by a fake identity through a fake name or another person. Democratic Incumbent, Auditor Nicole Galloway, fended off Republican Saundra McDowell in the November 2018 Midterm - Galloway barely skated by with 50.4% of the vote.

Missourians also approved of Constitutional Amendment 2 which makes the Show-Me State the 31st state in the United States to adopt some form of Medical Marijuana. According to Fox2Now St. Louis, within the Amendment, taxes on marijuana sales will be at 4% where the revenue will go to healthcare services, veterans and others in need. The Amendment also allows patients who have been prescribed medical marijuana to grow their own. Department of Health will regulate the money unlike the proposal of Amendment 3 where a governing board headed by one doctor (Brad Bradshaw) would oversee the process - Amendment 3 Failed. "New Approach Missouri" was behind this Amendment.

Finally, Amendment 4 was also passed on November 6th by Missourians. Amendment 4 deals with Bingo. The ballot language was, "Remove language limiting bingo game advertising that a court ruled unenforceable? Allow a member of a licensed organization conducting bingo games to participate in the management of bingo games after being a member of the organization for six months instead of the current two years?" Supporters of this state that with this Amendment, it allows more competition in the bingo world and that smaller groups/individuals can start up their own games. Gambling used to be banned in Missouri until 1980 - since then, Bingo has only been allowed for charitable purposes and prohibiting bingo advertising.