Last fall, the Missouri legislature passed HJR 3—a radical proposal that would make citizen-led initiatives nearly impossible. Now, as the 2026 legislative session begins, they're doubling down.

Politicians in Jefferson City have filed multiple bills that would further restrict citizens' ability to use the initiative process. These are just a few we're keeping an eye on:

• HB 1750 – forces petition organizers to register as lobbyists, raises signature fraud to a felony, bans most Missourians from filing petitions, and imposes $10,000 filing fee

• HJR 116 – proposes a constitutional amendment that would limit initiative petitions to just 75 words and require full text on ballots

• HB 2124 – restricts who can circulate petitions, expands officials' power to reject them on constitutional grounds, and eliminates public hearing requirements