Missouri 2018 ballot measures

Elections in Missouri, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 10
• Early voting: N/A
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: Non-photo ID required
• Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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2018 Missouri Ballot Measures
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Eight statewide ballot measures were certified to appear on the Missouri ballot in 2018.

One ballot measure, a veto referendum, appeared on the ballot for August 7, 2018. Voters rejected the referendum, thus repealing the targeted law.

Seven ballot measures were set to appear on the ballot for November 6, 2018. Four of the ballot measures were approved and three were defeated.

HIGHLIGHTS

Voters rejected Proposition A, thus repealing a right-to-work law enacted by the state legislature.

Amendment 2, which legalized medical marijuana in Missouri, was approved. Two competing measures—Amendment 3 and Proposition C—were defeated.

Voters approved Amendment 1, which made changes to the state's lobbying laws, campaign finance limits for state legislative candidates, and legislative redistricting process.

Voters approved Proposition B, which was designed to increase the state's minimum wage to $12 by 2023.

On the ballot

August 7, 2018:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Proposition A	Unions	Approval upholds Senate Bill 19, a right to work law; defeat rejects the law.	d

November 6, 2018:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CICA	Amendment 1	Elections	Addresses lobbying, campaign finance, and redistricting procedures	a
CICA	Amendment 2	Marijuana	Legalizes marijuana for medical purposes	a
CICA	Amendment 3	Marijuana	Legalizes marijuana for medical purposes	d
LRCA	Amendment 4	Gambling	Changes requirement to manage bingo games and advertising at bingo games	a
CISS	Proposition B	Minimum Wage	Increases the minimum wage to $12	a
CISS	Proposition C	Marijuana	Legalizes marijuana for medical purposes	d
LRSS	Proposition D	Taxes	Increases gas tax, provides tax exemption for Olympic prizes, and creates fund for projects to improve roads and alleviate bottleneck traffic	d

Summary of campaign contributions

See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2018

The following chart illustrates how much support and opposition committees had amassed in campaign contributions for each measure on the ballot:

Note: In some cases committees were registered to support or oppose multiple propositions. Ballotpedia lists the total sum that all committees registered to support or oppose each proposition have received in contributions. This means that the sum of all contributions in the chart below is higher than the total amount contributed.

November 6:

Ballot Measure:	Support contributions:	Opposition contributions:	Outcome:
Missouri Proposition B	$6,991,777.00	$0.00	a
Missouri Amendment 2	$1,777,322.18	$9,700.00	a
Missouri Amendment 4	$5,082.10	$0.00	a
Missouri Amendment 3	$2,180,366.00	$1,715,318.27	d
Missouri Proposition D	$5,345,407.50	$0.00	d
Missouri Proposition C	$1,485,896.54	$6,000.00	d
Missouri Amendment 1	$5,634,916.10	$343,201.09	a

August 7:

Ballot Measure:	Support contributions:	Opposition contributions:	Outcome:
Missouri Proposition A (August)	$5,172,472.07	$18,894,165.88	d

Cost per required signature

See also: Ballot measure signature costs, 2018

The cost-per-required signature (CPRS) is a comparison of the amount of money spent on the petition drive to the number of signatures the state requires for an initiative to make the ballot. The following chart illustrates the CPRS for ballot initiatives:

Ballot Measure:	Topic:	Petition company	Cost	Signatures	CPRS
Missouri Proposition B	Minimum wage	FieldWorks, LLC	$686,714.90	100,126	$6.86
Missouri Amendment 2	Marijuana	FieldWorks, LLC	$530,296.96	160,199	$3.31
Missouri Amendment 3	Marijuana	National Ballot Access	$1,266,514.04	160,199	$7.91
Missouri Proposition C	Marijuana	National Petition Management	$1,057,185.00	100,126	$10.56
Missouri Proposition A (August)	Labor and unions	FieldWorks, LLC	$776,494.17	100,126	$7.76
Missouri Amendment 1	Elections and campaigns	FieldWorks, LLC	$1,082,515.83	160,199	$6.76
Averages:	N/A	N/A	$899,953.48	N/A	$7.19

Three marijuana measures on the 2018 ballot

In November 2018, voters had three medical marijuana initiatives on their ballots—Amendment 2, Amendment 3, and Proposition C. Voters were permitted to vote "yes" or "no" on each of the ballot measures.

As Amendment 2 was approved and Amendment 3 and Proposition C were defeated, a conflicting measures scenario did not occur.

If two conflicting constitutional amendments, such as Amendment 2 and Amendment 3, were approved, the one receiving the most affirmative votes prevails. State law did not provide a protocol for when voters approve statutes, such as Proposition C, and amendments, such as Amendment 2 and Amendment 3, that are in conflict. Speaking to a similar issue regarding tobacco tax initiatives in 2016, the attorney general's office said the issue would need to be decided in court.

To learn more about how these three ballot initiatives compares, see the following subsections of the page:

• Statements: Campaigns answered the question, "Why is your ballot measure the best option for medical marijuana legalization?"
• Comparison: Comparison of the ballot initiatives' provisions.

Statements from the campaigns

Ballotpedia asked the campaigns behind Amendment 2, Amendment 3, and Proposition C the following question: "There are three medical marijuana initiatives on the ballot in November. Why do you think that your ballot measure is the best option for medical marijuana legalization on the ballot in 2018?" Ballotpedia received the following responses from each campaign.

Click on the arrows (▼) below for statements from the campaigns behind the medical marijuana ballot initiatives in Missouri.

Missouri Amendment 2: New Approach Missouri is leading the campaign in support of Amendment 2.

“

Amendment 2 provides for a safe, responsible and veteran-centered way forward to make Missouri the 31st state to allow medical marijuana. It puts healthcare decisions back into the hands of doctors and their patients, and, of the three ballot options, is the only one backed by a true coalition of patients, veterans and doctors. As a constitutional amendment, it becomes a permanent part of Missouri law, providing certainty to Missouri patients. Amendment 2 is a stark contrast to Amendment 3, the other medical marijuana constitutional amendment on the ballot. Amendment 3 is funded and supported by a coalition of one, a wealthy backer and the petition’s author, personal-injury attorney, Brad Bradshaw. Brad Bradshaw unsuccessfully sued the other two initiatives to try and get them thrown off the ballot. Amendment 2 requires the Missouri Department of Health to act swiftly and enable implementation by drafting rules and regulations to administer the law. Under Amendment 3 Brad Bradshaw writes himself into the Missouri Constitution as the chairman of a new quasi-state agency and research institute and grants him the authority to appoint its board members. This institute would not only direct how taxpayer money is spent but also write and implement the rules and regulations on licensing and dispensing. No other state has adopted this type of new, unaccountable bureaucracy as their regulatory framework. Amendment 2 levies a reasonable tax rate of 4% on medical marijuana sales and the revenue generated funds veterans’ services in the state. This funding mechanism is supported by patients, veterans and the healthcare community. Amendment 3 has an exploitive 15% sales tax, the highest medical marijuana tax in the nation, directed to the new research institute. It’s simply wrong to put a tax that high on medicine at the expense of patients with cancer and other debilitating illnesses. New Approach Missouri is a coalition of medical professionals, patients, former public safety officials, and advocates working to pass Amendment 2 because we believe it is the best way forward to legalize medical marijuana for patients with serious and debilitating illnesses.

”

Missouri Amendment 3: Find The Cures is leading the campaign in support of Amendment 3.

“

Access for Legitimate Patients Long list of qualifying conditions, which may be expanded by the Research Board when reliable scientific data shows additional conditions will benefit from MMJ treatment. MMJ is a medicine. As a real medicine, Amendment 3 requires MMJ to be sold in dispensaries with pharmacist consultations available. Amendment 3 is for Missourians Only For an individual to grow or sell MMJ they must be a Missouri resident. Entities must by 70% or more owned by Missouri residents. Everyone in MO can participate. With over three times the licenses of the other proposals combined, Amendment 3 has far and away the most licenses to cultivate. 3 also encourages co-ops for farmers, and LLCs-joint ventures for businesses. Monopolies are prohibited. No person or entity can own more than 1% of the licenses to cultivate. Everyone gets a chance to be involved. World Class Cancer Research Center $66 million annually for Cancer and Disease Research. Each direct dollar will generate up to 4 additional matching dollars annually, bringing the annual total to upwards of $330 million to cure cancer and other diseases. Missouri will become a world leader in medical research. An estimated 10,000+ new high paying jobs will be created. State ballot language, and Tripp Umbach economic impact analysis. Research Center Location, Satellite Centers After the board recommends five optimum locations, Missouri voters will decide where the main research center will be located. Missouri Universities will have affiliated satellite research centers. Economic Impact for Missouri – Proven Track Record Mayo Clinic generates over $9.6 billion annually for Minnesota, that’s more than all MN hotel and lodging, motor vehicle manufacturing and professional sports combined. Scripps Research in Florida, 9 years old, is estimated to soon reach $1.5 billion annually. Scripps had almost 3/4 of a billon in reserves last year, and recently Scripps was awarded over 600 Million additional dollars by the NIH. Income Tax Refund Income tax refund check to you annually! 50% of the money generated from the research institute must be given back to Missouri residents in the form of an annual income tax refund. Law Enforcement Amendment 3 provides almost $2 million in annual funding for local law enforcement. Amendment 3 also requires MMJ to be cultivated in locked secure and safe environments, and only with a proper license to cultivate. Missouri Schools and Education Cancer and disease research will generate millions of dollars annually for Missouri’s schools and Missouri students, plus additional millions of dollars specifically set aside for Missouri Universities. Problems with Amendment 2 Amendment 2 allows home grow, up to 24 plants per household, selling it in neighborhoods. Polling confirms Missouri does not want home grow, and it is a loser on the ballot. Amendment 2 allows violent convicted felons to grow transport and sell marijuana in Missouri. Need more be said. Amendment 2 is recreational. 2 allows MMJ to be sold for any medical condition. It also allows “doc in the boxes” where a doctor can sit in a room all day write recommendations for marijuana. 2 is silent on limits.

”

Missouri Proposition C: Missourians for Patient Care is leading the campaign in support of Proposition C.

“

Missourians for Patient Care (MPC) was formed in 2017 by a group of passionate Missouri leaders with a mission to bring medical cannabis to Missouri patients in November 2018. Operated in the shortest time frame, MPC collected signatures from voters in January 2018 and submitted the constitutionally-required number of signatures to the Secretary of State on May 6, 2018. Proposition C has taken best practices from other effective ballot measures across the country and applied them to this statutory initiative. The sole purpose for Proposition C is to allow Missouri patients quick and efficient access to cannabis by physician certification only. Missouri patients must have a certain qualifying medical condition to access medical cannabis under Proposition C. The newly-created industry in Missouri would be regulated by a state agency that has an 80-year history regulating liquor business: The Division of Alcohol and Tobacco. The Department of Health and Senior Services would also be tasked with confidentially overseeing application and distribution of patient and caregiver identification cards. Proposition C imposes the lowest tax rate of all three initiatives at 2%. This low retail tax rate lowers the burden of cost on patients accessing medical cannabis. It is the only measure that funds all drug treatment facilities in the state, regardless of drug addiction. Funds would also support veterans’ services, public safety, and early childhood education and development. Proposition C is the only measure that requires local community approval prior to any licensing. The governing body of the municipality must adopt an ordinance, or the governing body of the county must adopt a resolution containing specific standards for license issuance. This requirement provides local control for communities to have a say in how medical cannabis can be accessed by their constituencies. Unlike Amendment 3, Proposition C is not looking to threaten private property owners by abusing eminent domain laws or egregiously tax patients at 15% to create a fabricated ‘research institute’ paying them six-figure salaries to hope and find cures for terminal illnesses. Patients with chronic pain deserve serious and effective treatments. Prop C and its supporters stand ready to help deliver medical cannabis treatment options for patients in Missouri as an alternative to heavily-prescribed opioids.

”

Comparison of 2018 ballot initiatives

The following table compares the different provisions of the medical marijuana ballot measures and additional information:

Issue	Amendment 2	Amendment 3	Proposition C
Sponsor	New Approach Missouri	Find the Cures	Missourians for Patient Care
Type of law	Constitutional	Constitutional	Statute
Amending or repealing by legislature	legislature needs to pass changes by simple majority and refer to the ballot for a public vote	legislature needs to pass changes by simple majority and refer to the ballot for a public vote	legislature needs to pass changes by simple majority and changes need governor's signature
Comparison of patients and patient use provisions
Number of qualifying conditions	9 plus others with doctor's approval	10 plus others designed by the research board	9 plus others with doctor's approval
Purchase amount	department to set a limit of not less than 4 ounces of dried marijuana or equivalent in 30-day period (more permitted with written certification from two independent physicians)	department to set limit of not less than 3 ounces of dried marijuana or equivalent in 30-day period (more permitted with written certification from two independent physicians)	2.5 ounces of cannabis flower or equivalent in 14-day period (more permitted with written certification from a physician)
Possession amount	department to set a limit of not less than a 60-day supply of dried marijuana or equivalent (more permitted with written certification from two independent physicians)	not specified in the amendment's text	no more than a 60-day supply of cannabis flower or equivalent
Home grow	6 flowering plants	not specified in the amendment's text	home cultivation prohibited
Comparison of sales taxes and tax revenue
Sales tax	4 percent	15 percent	2 percent
Tax revenue distribution	healthcare services, job training, housing assistance, and other services for veterans	Biomedical Research and Drug Development Institute tasked with developing cures for cancer and other diseases	veterans' services, drug treatment, education, and law enforcement
Estimated annual government revenue	$24 million	$66 million	$10 million
Estimated annual government costs	$7 million	$500,000	$10 million
Provisions regarding regulation of marijuana
Regulatory agency	Tasks the existing Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services	Creates a new Board of Biomedical Research and Drug Development Institute	Tasks the existing Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control
Local prohibitions	local bans not allowed, but local governments can regulate the location of facilities and dispensaries and the time and manner of their operation	local governments can prohibit facilities and dispensaries through a simple majority vote of voters	local governments can prohibit facilities and dispensaries through a two-thirds vote of voters
Number of dispensaries	not less than 24 in each congressional district, based on 2018 boundaries	not less than 2 per 20,000 residents in counties and cities	not less than 1 per 100,000 state residents (plus extras based on demographics and demand to ensure access)

Getting measures on the ballot

Citizens of Missouri may initiate legislation as either a state statute or a constitutional amendment. In Missouri, citizens also have the power to repeal legislation via veto referendum. The Missouri General Assembly may also place measures on the ballot as legislatively referred constitutional amendments or legislatively referred state statutes with a majority vote.

In 2018, citizens were required to file at least 100,126 valid signatures for initiated state statutes and veto referendums, and they were required to file at least 160,199 valid signatures for initiated constitutional amendments. These signature requirements are the requirement if petitioners collect signatures in the smallest of the state's congressional districts to satisfy the state's distribution requirement. Collecting signatures in larger districts would result in a slightly larger signature requirement.

The 2018 state legislative session ran from January 3, 2018, to May 18, 2018, during which time the Missouri State Legislature was able to place legislative referrals on the ballot.

Historical facts

See also: History of Initiative & Referendum in Missouri and List of Missouri ballot measures

• A total of 75 measures appeared on statewide ballots in Missouri from 1996 to 2016.
• From 1996 to 2016, the number of measures on statewide ballots during even-numbered years ranged from three to 10.
• Between 1996 and 2016, an average of seven measures appeared on the ballot in Missouri during even-numbered election years.
• Between 1996 and 2016, about 67 percent (48 of 72) of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots during even-numbered years were approved, and about 33 percent (24 of 72) were defeated.

Not on the ballot

See also: Proposed ballot measures that were not on a ballot

The list below contains measures that were proposed and reached a certain stage in the initiative or referral process, but did not make the ballot.

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	State Legislative Term Limits, Leadership Term Limits, and Ban on Lobbyist Gifts Amendment	Terms	Terms for leadership posts and lobbyist gifts ban
LRCA	Right to Work Amendment	Unions	Right-to-work law in state constitution
LRCA	Count U.S. Citizens for Apportioning State Legislative Districts Amendment	Redistricting	Only count U.S. citizens for apportioning state legislative districts
CICA	Marijuana Legalization Initiative	Marijuana	Legalize marijuana for medical and recreational purposes
CICA	No Requirement to Render Services Initiative	Business	Right to not render services
CICA	Right to Cannabis for Personal or Medical Use Initiative	Marijuana	Legalize marijuana for medical and recreational purposes
CICA	No Constitutional Rights for Artificial Entities Initiative	Corporation	Rights in the state constitution do not apply to artificial entities
CICA	Federal Constitutional Convention for National Initiative Process Initiative	Fed Con	Convention to create a national initiative process
CICA	Anti-Discrimination in Employment Initiative	Constitutional Rights	Ban discrimination in employment based on certain social groupings
CICA	Right to Vote Absentee Initiative	Suffrage	Constitutional right to vote absentee in person or by mail
CICA	Confined Big Game Hunting Initiative	Hunting	Confined big game hunting regulations
CICA	Nonpartisan Candidates and Runoff Elections Initiative	Elections	Candidates for certain offices to run as nonpartisan and runoff elections
CICA	Cannabis and Cannabis Hemp Legalization Initiative	Marijuana	Marijuana legalization
CICA	Cannabis Legalization Initiative	Marijuana	Marijuana legalization
CICA	Right to Farm Cannabis Initiative	Marijuana	Right to farm to include cannabis
CICA	Right to Collective Bargaining Initiative	Labor	Constitutional right to collective bargaining
CICA	Voter Approval of New Sales Tax, Bonds, and Stadium Funding Initiative	Direct Democracy	Voter approval for new sales taxes, bonds, or stadium funding
CICA	Ranked-Choice Voting for State Executives and U.S. Senate Initiative	Elections	Ranked-choice system of electing certain officials
CICA	Proportional Representation in State Legislature Initiative	Elections	Proportional representation for electing state legislators
CICA	Local Minimum Wage and Employment Benefits Initiative	Local Gov't	Prohibit local minimum wage or benefits preemption
CICA	Submit Legislative Changes to Initiatives to Voters Initiative	Direct Democracy	Legislative changes to approved ballot initiatives to be submitted to voters
CICA	Prohibit Toll Roads Initiative	Transportation	Prohibit public toll roads
CICA	Election Laws, Initiative Circulator Rules, and Electronic Signatures Initiative	Direct Democracy	Voter approval to change election laws and electonic signatures
CICA	Petition at State Career Centers Initiative	Direct Democracy	Constitutional right to petition at state career centers
CICA	One-Year Sales Tax Increase for Technology Parks Initiative	Taxes	Increase sales tax for one year to provide funds for tech parks
CICA	Allow Paralegals and Legal Assistants to Take Bar Exam Initiative	Business	Paralegals and legal assistants allowed to take the bar exam and practice law
CICA	Constitutional Right-to-Work Initiative	Labor	Constitutional right-to-work provision
CICA	Right-to-Work as Freedom of Speech Initiative	Labor	Constitutional right-to-work provision to freedom of speech
CICA	Constitutional Labor Laws Initiative	Labor	Constitutional right-to-work and prevailing wage ban
CICA	Municipalities to Cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Initiative	Immigration	Municipalities required to cooperate with ICE
CICA	State Law Required to Remove Historic Memorials Initiative	Memorials	Require a state law for historical memorials to be removed
CICA	Partisan Affiliation of Judges, Appellate Judge Terms, and Contributions to Judicial Candidates Initiative	Judiciary	Allow supreme court and court of appeals judges to declare partisan affiliation
CICA	Sales Tax Increase for Law Enforcement Initiative	Taxes	Increase sales tax for law enforcement funding
CICA	Petition at Entrances of State-Funded Operations Initiative	Direct Democracy	Constitutional right to petition at entrances of state-funded operations
CICA	Ban Cell Phone Usage while Driving Initiative	Transportation	Ban the use of cell phones while driving
CISS	Abortion Ban Initiative	Abortion	Ban abortion in Missouri
CISS	Medical Aid in Dying Initiative	Assisted Death	Legalize medical aid-in-dying
CISS	Student ID as Voter ID Initiative	Elections	Student IDs to serve as voter IDs
CISS	$15 Minimum Wage Initiative	Minimum Wage	$15 minimum wage
CISS	$14 Minimum Wage Initiative	Minimum Wage	$14 minimum wage
CISS	$13 Minimum Wage Initiative	Minimum Wage	$13 minimum wage
CISS	$11 Minimum Wage Initiative	Minimum Wage	$11 minimum wage
CISS	Earned Paid Sick Time Initiative	Labor	Earned paid sick time
CISS	Municipal Police Force Initiative	Law Enforcement	Rules for municipal police forces
CISS	Health Insurance Cooperative Initiative	Healthcare	State health insurance cooperate
CISS	Tax on Capital Gains and Qualified Dividends to Fund Green Jobs Program Initiative	Public Works	Tax on capital gains and qualified dividends to fund a green jobs program
CISS	Public Financing for Candidates Initiative	Elections	Public financing program for campaigns
CISS	National Popular Vote Interstate Agreement Initiative	Elections	Join the National Popular Vote Interstate Agreement
CISS	Proportional Representation in U.S. House Initiative	Elections	Proportional representation for electing members to the U.S. House
CISS	Medicaid Expansion Initiative	Healthcare	Expand Medicaid under ACA
CISS	Voter Registration at DMV at Non-Photo Voter ID Initiative	Elections	Process of registering to vote at DMV and allow non-photo voter IDs
CISS	Corporate Franchise Tax Initiative	Taxes	Corporate franchise tax
CISS	Motor Fuel Tax Increase Initiative	Taxes	Increase the motor fuel tax for highways
CISS	Diesel Fuel Tax Increase Initiative	Taxes	Increase the diesel fuel tax for highways
CISS	Renewable Energy Standards Initiative	Energy	Certain percetnage of energy from renewable sources

See also

• 2018 ballot measures
• List of Missouri ballot measures
• History of Initiative & Referendum in Missouri
• Missouri signature requirements

External links

• Missouri Initiative Petitions & Ballot Questions

Footnotes