Local CWA Chapter discusses upcoming ballot issues

The local area Prayer/Action Chapter of Concerned Women for America gathered for their monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 21. Along with prayer for local, state and national leaders, the meeting featured an informative video presentation regarding Missouri’s proposed Amendment 4, which would reform the state’s initiative petition process for amending the Missouri Constitution. 

The featured video speaker, Byron Keelin of Freedom Principle MO, explained that the Initiative Petition (IP) system in place since 1908 has become a tool of special interest groups and out-of-state funding. Currently, it allows a majority of 50% plus one to place anything on the ballot, essentially turning Missouri into a democracy—which neither our state nor our nation was intended to be—rather than a representative republic where districts send legislators to vote in the interest of the people of their district. As pointed out by several local chapter members as well as the featured speaker, the current IP system allows amendments to the Missouri Constitution to pass while effectively bypassing most of the state’s districts. As an example, Missouri’s current Amendment 3 had a passing vote in only eight of the state’s 114 districts. 

Another concern is that Missouri’s Constitution has become a huge book of pet projects, something the U.S. Founding Fathers warned about; in #49 of the Federalist Papers, James Madison addressed the dangers of not taking Constitutional amendments, state or national, seriously. Adopting amendments to address too many issues, too easily, renders the document a cluttered hodge-podge of projects that could have been handled legislatively, while failing to enshrine serious issues such as election integrity, often because usually no out-of-state money is backing them.  

The proposed Amendment 4 would accomplish the following: 

●      Require voter approval of initiative petitions in a majority of congressional districts rather than a statewide simple majority, improving the diversity of voter representation across the state; 

●      Prohibit foreign nationals and foreign adversaries from spending to support or oppose ballot measures, with penalties for violations and other petition fraud. 

This is obviously a quick summary, but as discussed at the meeting, it is still far more information than simply showing up at the ballot box and reading the question, which explains none of the ramifications of a vote either way. 

For reasons summarized above, CWA and other conservative action groups urge a “yes” vote on Amendment 4; but even further, they urge taking time to visit the Missouri Secretary of State website and read the entire proposed amendment—not just this time, but every time. 

Following the featured video, meeting attendees discussed CWA’s “Faith Month,” an incentive to support CWA not only financially but in prayer and in a “Fly Your Flag” challenge. With America’s 250th birthday, it is important to remember not only our founders but our faith roots as well, and one good way to do this is by proudly displaying both the U.S. flag and the Christian flag. Learn more about the flag challenge and CWA’s involvement in national issues affecting our families, at https://concernedwomen.org/.