By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – In the end, only two of six efforts were successful.
Missouri voters in November will face questions on the ballot that would ask them if the minimum wage should be raised and whether stem cell research should be protected.
Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has certified those two initiatives. But she said late this morning (Tuesday) that a proposed tobacco tax increase narrowly failed to get enough petition signatures.
Carnahan said a proposal to restore many of last year's cuts to the Medicaid health care program for the poor fell far short of the number of signatures needed to make the ballot.
Earlier she had thrown out petitions dealing with state spending and eminent domain because they weren't submitted correctly. The six initatives that were submitted were among the most ever for an election year.
The stem cell initiative asks voters whether to amend the state constitution to guarantee that all federally allowed stem cell research and treatment can occur in Missouri.
The other measure would raise Missouri's hourly minimum wage from the current $5.15 to $6.50 by January First, then increase it each year thereafter to keep up with the cost of living.