Bill White: Why I support Amendment 3

(From Sen. Bill White, R-Joplin)

In less than two weeks, Missourians will decide the fate of two constitutional amendments. Everyone should research the information and decide how to vote before arriving at the polls, but I want to take this opportunity to share my top three reasons for why I will vote “yes” on Amendment 3. 

First of all, I believe that ethics reforms were the main reason that voters approved the so-called “Clean Missouri” amendment in 2018, and I am glad that banning gifts from lobbyists and limiting campaign contributions have been strengthened and secured under the new proposal. 

However, the redistricting process outlined in the 2018 amendment forces us to have our legislative district maps drawn by an unelected demographer, instead of keeping this control in the hands of citizen-led, bipartisan commissions. A “yes” vote returns this important role to citizens, reinforcing the adage, “nothing about us without us!”

Secondly, Amendment 3 reorders the priorities of how the legislative districts are drawn. Instead of being drawn to achieve partisan fairness, Amendment 3 tasks the bipartisan, citizen-led commissions with drawing legislative districts that are compact, contiguous and follow commonsense boundaries like city limits, county lines, major roads and natural features. 

If we don’t change the constitution’s current language, I fear we could see our cities split and our counties unnecessarily divided, potentially eroding rural representation.

Finally, I would like to remind everyone that “Clean Missouri,” which I believe was heavily funded and marketed by out-of-state special interest groups, only made it onto the ballot through the initiative petition process. Amendment 3, or Senate Joint Resolution 38, was vetted through the meticulous and deliberate legislative process, clearing the Senate with a 22-9 vote, and the House with a 98-56 vote.

There are several other components to consider, so please reach out to my office if you need additional information or assistance on this initiative or any other issues on the Nov. 3 ballot.