Section III Section 50

Constitution

Effective - 03 Dec 1998, see footnote   

  III Section 50.  Initiative petitions — signatures required — form and procedure. — Initiative petitions proposing amendments to the constitution shall be signed by eight percent of the legal voters in each of two-thirds of the congressional districts in the state, and petitions proposing laws shall be signed by five percent of such voters.  Every such petition shall be filed with the secretary of state not less than six months before the election and shall contain an enacting clause and the full text of the measure.  Petitions for constitutional amendments shall not contain more than one amended and revised article of this constitution, or one new article which shall not contain more than one subject and matters properly connected therewith, and the enacting clause thereof shall be "Be it resolved by the people of the state of Missouri that the Constitution be amended:".  Petitions for laws shall contain not more than one subject which shall be expressed clearly in the title, and the enacting clause thereof shall be "Be it enacted by the people of the state of Missouri:".

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Source: Const. of 1875, Art. IV, § 57 (Amended November 3, 1998).

(1972) The requirement of this section that initiative petitions contain an enacting clause is mandatory and not directory. State ex rel. Scott v. Kirkpatrick (Mo.), 484 S.W.2d 161.

(1974) "Legal voter" held to mean "registered voter". Scott v. Kirkpatrick (Mo.), 513 S.W.2d 442.

(1990) Organization of Missouri constitution into separate articles creates a presumption that matters pertaining to separate subjects should be set forth in separate articles and not commingled. The organizational headings of the constitution are strong evidence of what the drafters of the constitution meant by "one subject". Missourians to Protect the Initiative Process v. Blunt, 799 S.W.2d 824 (Mo. 1990) (en banc).