JEFFERSON CITY — The House approved compromise legislation Tuesday that asks voters to make it more difficult to amend the state constitution.

HJR 43 changes the initiative petition process, requiring that 57% of Missouri voters approve an initiative rather than a simple majority. The Senate also is expected to approve the proposed changes, which were a priority for the Republican majority this session.

The people’s direct access to the law drove lively debate before the 107-55 vote in favor of the bill.

Initiative petitions allows Missouri citizens to change the constitution.

Rep. Ed Lewis, R-Moberly, referred to the U.S. Constitution — amendments must be approved by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states — as an example of why the state constitution should be more difficult to amend.

Bill sponsor Rep. Mike Henderson, R-Bonne Terre, argued that all the legislature is doing is “enshrining the voter’s voice by asking them ‘may this be changed?’”

Republicans like Lewis cited the success of the recreational marijuana petition and its less than 52% approval as an example of “things that maybe shouldn’t be in our constitution with a mere 50% vote.”

Henderson added that marijuana was made recreational despite 99 counties voting against it and said, “I think (this bill) will bring rural representation into play.”

House Democrats like Rep. David Tyson Smith, D-Columbia, reminded the House that “ballot candy” language still remains in the ballot language. Smith said that language prohibiting non-citizen voting in Missouri misleads voters since non-citizen voting is already illegal in Missouri.

“This bill is not an immigration bill,” Smith said.

House Democrats said they are concerned that the people will lose their ability to take action when their legislators don’t. Rep. Joe Adams, D-University City, cited the recent shooting in Texas as an example of why the people need to be able to act swiftly despite legislative inaction.

“I taught history about the Constitution, and I’m not quite sure why we like to equate the U.S. Constitution to state constitutions. They’re two different animals,” Adams said.

Assuming the Senate also approves the bill, the question moves to the people in November 2024, with a simple majority vote required for passage of the stricter amendment process.