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Missouri House OKs raising bar for constitutional amendments
The Republican-led Missouri House of Representatives is advancing a proposal to make it harder to amend the state constitution.
Court amends ballot language for voting measure
A Missouri appeals court has partially reversed a ruling approving ballot language in an initiative petition effort aimed at making it easier to vote. In a Jan. 29 opinion, a three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District largely upheld the ballot summaries prepared by the Missouri Secretary of State, but found two […]
Missouri Supreme Court makes huge shift in approach to special laws
The Missouri Supreme Court on Dec. 24 upended decades’ worth of precedent on what constitutes a special law. In a pair of rulings, the court announced that it was abandoning a line of cases that had held that a law must have a “substantial justification” if it affects only a subset of places or people. […]
Missouri Supreme Court weighs funding ban for abortion clinic
Whether Missouri lawmakers can use an appropriations bill to strip Planned Parenthood of funding appears to hinge on whether doing so effectively rewrote the state’s Medicaid payment scheme. The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Dec. 10 on language in the Department of Social Services’ appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019, which barred funding for “any […]
Judge upholds gun ban on University of Missouri campuses
A Boone County circuit judge held that the University of Missouri’s on-campus gun rules meet constitutional muster. In a Nov. 18 ruling, Judge Jeff Harris said the school’s longstanding rules, which generally prohibit the possession of firearms on university property, survive strict scrutiny under the Missouri Constitution. “The University adduced ample evidence at trial demonstrating [&hell[...]
Missouri Supreme Court precedents stymie quest for legislative precision
The Missouri Supreme Court on Oct. 1 turned aside challenges to the procedural validity of two recent legislative bills. Ron Calzone, the citizen activist who opposed the bills in court, doubts they will be the last challenges to fail. “My greatest concern is the Supreme Court just gutted what was left of Article III, sections […]
Statewide vote is sought on abortion bill already partly in effect
How much say do voters get when lawmakers declare something is an emergency? A series of lawsuits is testing a new — or at least newly rediscovered — aspect of Missouri election law. After lawmakers in May passed a bill severely restricting abortion, opponents of the law vowed to seek a referendum that would allow […]
US high court redistricting case draws on Missouri’s example
Missouri’s recent constitutional amendment on redistricting serves as an unusual example in a pending U.S. Supreme Court case on partisan gerrymandering. The high court is set to hear two cases on March 26 that could determine how much partisan consideration is too much when legislative districts are drawn. Lamone v. Benisek involves a challenge to […]
New redistricting scheme costs judges an unwelcome job
A newly approved amendment to the Missouri Constitution will strip the state’s appeals judges of one of their most unusual roles. With 62 percent of the statewide vote, Missouri voters on Nov. 6 approved Constitutional Amendment 1, a wide-ranging measure to rein in campaign contributions and limit lawmakers from becoming lobbyists. The measure also overhauled […]
Voters say yes to amendments on gun, privacy rights
Amendments to Missouri’s Constitution intended to enhance the right to bear arms and expand search and seizure protections to cover electronic data earned voters’ approval Tuesday.
Novel bill attempts to restore med mal caps
Can you change a constitutional right without actually amending the constitution? Sponsors of a bill under consideration in a Missouri Senate committee are trying to find out.
Circuit judge finds new ethics law unconstitutional
Missouri’s latest round of ethics laws is unconstitutional in more ways than one, a circuit judge ruled.
Latest Opinion Digests
- Criminal Law: Child Abuse-Sufficiency Of Evidence-Closing Argument
- Civil Rights: Religious Freedom-RLUIPA-Res Judicata
- Civil Practice: Res Judicata-Stop Work Order
- Immigration: Drug Conviction-Removability-Overbreadth of State Offense
- Civil Practice: Asset Forfeiture-Sanctions
- Civil Rights: Due Process-Failure to State Claim
- Probate : Revocable Trust – Amendment – Reformation
- Employer – Employee : Unpaid Commissions – At-Will Status
- Criminal Law : Post-Conviction Relief – Effectiveness Of Counsel – Conflict Of Interest
- Appellate Practice : Jurisdiction – Final Judgment
- Domestic Relations : Parenting Plan – Child Support
- Criminal Law : Post-Conviction Relief – Guilty Plea – Sentence Advice
Top stories
- Cole County prosecutor loses third Sunshine Law appeal
- Supreme Court weighs lagging symptoms in work comp case
- New accommodation rights for pregnant workers offer broad protections
- Clark named as next Eastern District chief judge
- Russell reflects on change as women take charge of Missouri’s legal system
- NCAA scores positive gender equity review from St. Louis firm
- Big improvements for Missouri bar takers | List of bar passers
- Athena Dickson named vice-president of Missouri Bar
