The Missouri Secretary of State’s office certified Amendment 1 to appear on the November 6 ballot. That means voters will have a chance this November to increase integrity, transparency, and accountability in state government.

Amendment 1 will:

• eliminate almost all lobbyist gifts in the General Assembly
• require that legislative records be open to the public
• lower campaign contribution limits for state legislative candidates
• require politicians to wait two years if they want to become lobbyists
• ensure that neither political party is given an unfair advantage when new maps are drawn after the next census, by adding criteria for fairness and competitiveness of the overall map, which will be reviewed by a citizen commission and keep compact and contiguous districts

“Amendment 1 is a chance to increase fairness, integrity and transparency in government,” said Kathleen Boswell, President of the League of Women Voters of Missouri. “Year after year, politicians are re-elected with big money, in districts drawn by politicians and party insiders. Amendment 1 limits the influence of special interests in the legislature and ensures no party is given an unfair advantage when redistricting occurs after the next census. Amendment 1 establishes clear, transparent criteria to ensure fair and competitive maps, which are reviewed by a citizens’ commission.”

“Amendment 1 will ensure fair and competitive elections so elected officials cannot take their voters for granted and must earn their support,” said Republican former U.S. Senator John Danforth. “I’m proud to be part of a bipartisan group of reformers to ensure voters come first — and that Missourians’ voices will always be heard in our democracy. Amendment 1 will increase integrity, transparency, and accountability in state government.”

“Lobbyists and a small group of big donors have too much control over Missouri state government,” said Pastor Cassandra Gould, Executive Director of Missouri Faith Voices. “But it doesn’t have to be this way. Amendment 1 will make our state government more transparent, limit the power of big money in our legislature, and make sure we can hold legislators accountable when they fail to act in the public’s interest.”

A growing number of Republicans, Democrats, independents, and editorial boards across the state have publicly endorsed the full package of desperately needed reforms in Amendment 1, including the Washington Missourian, Kansas City Star, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Columbia Daily Tribune.