Thread by @RavBogard

Here we go! The Missouri House is hearing a series of bills that would gut the Citizen Initiative Petition process, a process that has frequently been used by Missourians to override our "they know better than us" members of the #MOLeg 🧵

Missourians wanted to expand Medicaid, but our @MissouriGOP #immoralmajority was opposed; so we passed it via Initiative Petition (and they still tried to defund it afterwards). Missourians legalized medical (and now recreational) marijuana through I.P.

The chair is starting out this hearing by having every member introduce themselves, say a little about who they are, and what party they represent. It's actually kinda touching in a Parks & Recs way.

Flip side, as @roripn points out: this is all leaving much less time for citizens to actually, you know, testify against the gutting of the Citizen Initiative Petition process that the Legislature is trying to push through.

20 minutes in, and we're still doing introductions. Meanwhile it's a totally packed room of people who schlepped to Jeff City to testify (most of whom, more than likely, are not going to get the chance to be heard because of these intros...)

Ok--here we go. @MikeHenderso12 is presenting his bill to gut the ability of Missourians to directly make changes to our State Constitution. His argument is that Constitutions are sacred, and we shouldn't have things like "bingo" in it.

Of course, the reality is that the @missouriGOP is gutting the Initiative Petition process not because of good faith ideological arguments, but because the citizens of Missouri support progressive policies again and again when they are given the chance to vote on them directly.

Chair announces that despite there being an overwhelming number of folks here to oppose this bill, each side will still only be given 10 minutes to testify. It's almost as if this body isn't terribly interested in actually hearing from the voice of the people?

@bear_adams is asking smart questions of the bill sponsor now, bringing out the logical fallacies and bad-faith arguments at the core of this proposal. "What are you trying to fix if nothing is broken?!?"

The Chair asks for a show of hands of those who are here to testify in favor / against these bills. "Oh, quite a bit more are here to testify against!" #Yup

Here comes Minority Whip @Ashley4MO (who, ps, is awesome) reminding the Committee that the "bingo in the Constitution" provision wasn't actually from I.P., but was placed into the Constitution by the Legislature.

Always grateful to be here with my partner in all things #GoodTrouble, the inspiring, brilliant Maharat @roripn

We're having a pretty absurd conversation right now about why this proposed gutting of the Initiative Petition process includes a requirement that "only citizens may vote" on I.P.s.

Rep @EricWoods is 🔥🔥🔥, calling out that the "only citizens may vote" line is cynically in there only so that Missourians will be deceived into thinking that this is the problem that they are voting on, when they are presented with this gutting of our rights.

So evidently the very first line in the gutting of the Initiative Petition bill is about making it so that only citizens can vote...which of course is already the law. I.e., when voters are presented with this Amendment to vote on, they will be cynically & intentionally misled.

Here's our first public testimony, a paid lobbyist from @MOFarmBureau, who is pushing for a 2/3rds requirement on Initiative Petitions. What is the Farm Bureau afraid of? Are they worried that Missourians don't like their environmental impact and might do something about it?

First testimony opposed is from the lawyer responsible for both of the (successful) marijuana legalization Petitions. He's rightly pointing out the hypocrisy of the Legislature only changing the rules for Constitutional amendments from the people, and not from the #MOLeg

Let's talk about the hypocrisy of the #MOLeg: They're trying to make it so it takes 2/3 of Missourians to pass a Constitutional Amendment that is proposed by Missourians, but only a simple majority for those proposed by the gerrymandered #ImmoralMajority of the GOP in our State.

"I don't refer to this as Initiative Petition reform; this is really Initiative Petition sabotage, to make it impossible for citizens to make changes in our State."

Minority Whip @Ashley4MO pointing out that, unlike what the GOP members are saying, for a huge number of Missourians they *can't* vote out their Rep, because in 40%+ of House districts, voters have no choice at all.

"In this building, in this chamber, I have heard Representatives say that they were proud to vote against the will of the people, the will of their own voters, when it came to expanding Medicaid!" -@Ashley4MO with more🔥🔥🔥

Next testimony in opposition: "I'm a Republican, I'm extremally conservative, and I'm sick and tired of this Legislature disrespecting the will of our voters, and thinking that we are too stupid to make our own decisions...I'm embarrassed, and scared of your intentions."

Testimony in support now from James Harris, a paid lobbyist from the sketchy sounding "Opportunity Solutions Project" in Florida (with audible laughter from the galley after he is asked where @OppSolutions is based)

Literally every person testifying in favor of the gutting of the Initiative Petition process is a paid lobbyist. Every👏single👏one👏

The @MissouriGOP leadership has been very clear: their priorities this term are 1) gut the ability of Missourians to vote on Initiative Petitions, and 2) to pass bullying, bigoted laws that intentionally harm trans kids. #ProtectTransKids #MOLeg

@RepJeffColeman is now speaking about how the real problem is that it's "outside influences" who are proposing Initiative Petitions... And, like, what about the fact that basically every @MissouriGOP bill is a copy/paste job from shady national conservative lobby groups?!?

I've sat through a *lot* of #MOLeg hearings. Open bigotry; Senators asking kids what their genitals look like; cruelty masquerading as legalisms. But I really think this one might be the most mind-numbing that I've sat through. Related: it's really hot in here.

Lots and lots of people still here to testify against the gutting of Missouri's Initiative Petition process, but the chair is insistent that everyone be heard, so we're going to take a recess and then resume with more testimony.

And we're gaveling back in, with testimony now limited to 5min each. I'm sure our politics are pretty different, but I have to say: I'm totally charmed by Chair @PeggyMcGaughR39 and her insistence that everyone be heard.