A redistricting proposal and ethics reform ballot initiative titled Clean Missouri expected to be on November’s ballot is now at risk of being withdrawn.

Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ordered Sec. of State Jay Ashcroft to rescind the certification of the proposal because it violates the Missouri Constitution because a proposal can only cover one subject and can only amend one article of the Constitution, and the current ballot initiative breaks both of these rules.

Clean Missouri included a redistricting proposal and also proposed lowering campaign donation limits, abolishing a majority of gifts to lobbyists, and setting a two-year revolving door provision for legislators and their staffers before becoming lobbyists.

A lawsuit has been filed to remove a referendum from the Missouri ballot. On August 2, Sec. of State Jay Ashcroft certified an ethics initiative for the November general election ballot.

The proposal would limit legislative gifts from lobbyists, reduce campaign contribution limits for legislative candidates, create a two-year waiting period for public officials seeking to become lobbyists, and establish new procedures for redistricting.

The lawsuit claims the proposed referendum violates a provision of the Missouri Constitution limiting ballot measures to a single subject.

Combining multiple subjects in a single ballot measure can force voters to vote for a matter they do not support just to enact a proposal they do support.

Voters in San Francisco overwhelmingly passed a city ballot initiative restricting lobbyist gifts and campaign contributions.

Local Ballot Measure T, passed with over 87 percent support, prohibits lobbyists from making any gift to a city officer, regardless of value, prohibits lobbyists from using a third-party to circumvent this restriction, and prohibits city officers from accepting or soliciting such gifts. The gift restriction specifically includes any gift of travel. The measure defines “Gift of travel” as payment, advance, or reimbursement for travel, including transportation, lodging, and food and refreshments connected with the travel.

The measure also requires lobbyists to identify which city agencies they intend to influence and imposes a duty on local lobbyists to amend and update their registration information and monthly reports within five days of any changed circumstances.

The initiative also prohibits a lobbyist from making contributions to or bundling contributions for city elected officials or candidates for city elective offices if the lobbyist had been registered to lobby the officials’ agencies within 90 days of the date any contribution is made.

The changes to the city’s lobbying laws becomes effective January 1, 2018.

After being challenged in court by a lobbyist and political consultant, a proposed Denver ballot initiative was recently withdrawn by its backers.

The initiative would have lowered contribution limits for elected officials, banned corporate contributions to candidates, and created a public financing system for city elections.

The challenge alleged the initiative violated the single-subject rule for ordinances and the ballot title inadequately summarized the measure and included words intended to sway voters.

The measure was withdrawn for 2016 due to the resources required to fight the legal challenge and to run a fall campaign in such an expensive election season.