In 2018, Missourians demanded fairness in how our political boundaries were drawn by passing the "Clean Missouri" initiative. This victory, won by an irrefutable margin, ensured transparency and prevented gerrymandering in our state. Yet, just two short years later, the Republican-dominated Missouri legislature cynically reversed this progress. They used deceptive ballot language and misleading tactics—commonly known as "Ballot candy"—to pass a new initiative that nullified Clean Missouri's reforms and allowed them to redraw political districts to their liking.
This blatant and shameless manipulation of our democratic process is not just a cautionary tale from our past. Today, we face a similar threat with Amendment 3, also known as "The Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative," which will be voted on this November. This initiative, which seeks to enshrine the right to reproductive freedom in the Missouri Constitution, represents an essential step forward for women and families across our state. It would protect the individual right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including prenatal care, birth control, abortion, and more, ensuring that these profoundly personal choices remain in the hands of individuals and their doctors, not in the hands of the suits in the Jefferson City legislature.
However, if we do not learn from the lessons of Clean Missouri, Amendment 3 will suffer the same fate. I guarantee it. The Missouri legislature, infiltrated with a supermajority of an increasingly radical Republican Party, will undoubtedly propose a new ballot initiative laced with "Ballot candy" to mislead voters into giving up their reproductive freedoms. By dressing up a future initiative with appealing but unrelated measures, they will once again deceive the public and strip away the rights that Amendment 3 protects. Folks, our rights have been and will continue to be under assault by these right-wing radical elements in our legislature.
The only way to prevent this is to ensure that the Republicans in the Missouri legislature are denied a supermajority. If they lack a supermajority—or two-thirds of the votes—needed to propose and pass future amendments, it will help protect our reproductive rights. This is why the upcoming election is so critical. We must elect leaders who will stand up for the will of the people and protect our rights from being eroded by deceptive political tactics. We must break the authoritarian-leaning supermajority in our state legislature.
As I run for the Missouri House of Representatives, District 97, I am committed to safeguarding the rights of all Missourians. My Republican opponent has been part of the legislative majority that has repeatedly shown a willingness to disregard the will of the people. If elected, I will fight to ensure that your voice is heard and respected and, most importantly, to protect our reproductive freedoms from those who would cynically undermine them.
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