By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – The Missouri Senate is considering a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it harder to amend the state's constitution.
The joint resolution, if approved by both houses and then voters, would require a two-thirds majority among voters to approve any new amendments to the Missouri constitution.
It's sponsored by Republican Senator Chuck Gross of St. Charles, who says the current simple majority voting requirement makes it too easy to change the state constitution.
"The constitution should be an overall framework for the operation of state government," notes Gross. "It shouldn't be the nitty gritty detail that you have in the statutes."
Gross also notes that the specific issues targeted by some petition initiatives often are not perfect and need tweaking, a process made harder when they're established in the constitution as opposed to within traditional state statutes.
Even though Gross wants it to be harder to change the constitution, his own proposal, coincidentally, would still only require the simple majority to pass.
The resolution is scheduled for a hearing in a committee next. If approved by the General Assembly, the proposed amendment would go on the 2008 ballot.