By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – Legislation in the Missouri Senate would tighten regulations on petition circulators.
The bill would require all circulators to be Missouri residents and would bar them from being paid on a per signature basis.
Ron Berry with the Secretary of State's office testified today in favor of the bill before a Senate committee.
"It also establishes that if anyone knowingly signs someone else's name, that they will be guilty of a Class 1 election offense," Berry said.
Opponents say the petition and initiative process is a check against the power of government, and that the bill would make it harder to exercise that process.
Ron Calzone with the groups Missouri First and Missouri Citizens for Property Rights testified against the bill.
"This is supposed to be the people's process...this bill, I'm afraid, will make it only possible for the wealthy and the well-connected, or people with large organizations like perhaps labor unions, to get it done," Calzone said.
The Senate Elections Committee has yet to vote on the bill.