The Missouri Supreme Court declined to take on the Clean Missouri ballot initiative case, which means it will appear as an amendment on the ballot this November.

The amendment focuses on ethics reform and state redistricting, and it was challenged because it possibly violated a provision of the Missouri Constitution that limits the scope of initiative petitions and sought to mislead voters.

A trial court agreed, but an appellate court in Kansas City upheld Clean Missouri because all the proposed changes are included under the subject Legislature reform.

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.